


Bluest Night

by Zeriku



Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Dragons, Gen, M/M, dragon tamers are a thing too, dragons are a thing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-25
Updated: 2015-04-07
Packaged: 2018-01-16 23:25:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 29,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1365574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zeriku/pseuds/Zeriku
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>At that moment, Tsuna sees the bluest night through a dragon’s eyes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

  * For [2pork](https://archiveofourown.org/users/2pork/gifts).



> This AU is dedicated to my Roey (rochelin). Sorry for taking five years before starting this aha… Also I know that I promised to give you a long one-shot feeling chapter one so that you can move on with your life but I guess I'm going to break that promise, too. sORRY I DEFINITELY WILL DO THE THINGS I PROMISED ON THE NEXT CHAPTER
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own KHR.

 

"Poor kid looks like he's going to piss himself."

Tsuna hunches over himself, gloved hands tightening their hold on each other. His eyes dart from the floor to each end of the hallway he's in, but never stopping even one second at the huge doors in front of him. He doesn't want to lay his eyes on the insignia carved into the dark mahogany—no matter how intricate and beautiful it is, and despite Tsuna having seen it so many times in the past—because he knows what it'll do to him.

The brunette continuously tells himself to calm down, hands moving to fiddle with his belt, the pouch attached to it and its contents, and then the dagger sheathed at the back of his belt. His hands graze the goggles around his neck last, the leather of his gloves scraping the glass soundlessly, when the snickering guards on both sides of the mahogany doors suddenly lose all of their mirth and assume their position. Straight, rigid, statuesque. This is how they will be seen by the man who will open those mahogany doors, not as the snickering duo that made Tsuna's heart beat more wildly in his chest, though in reality the man won't put much care to them. His aged yet sharp eyes are focused on Tsuna, who in turn quickly diverts his gaze back to the floor despite his body straightening.

"Tsunayoshi Sawada," the old man calls out, voice gruff and stern. Tsuna meets the man's gaze for a whole second to convey that he heard him before returning his gaze to the floor. "Vongola Nono will now speak with you."

The man then steps to the side, inclining his head toward the inside of the room. Tsuna takes that as his cue, nearly tripping over his feet in his haste. His cheeks flush red when he hears a chuckle disguised as a cough from one of the guards.

"Nougat, please close the door." Tsuna knows that the man complied when the doors are shut with a little bit more force than was needed. He hears a sigh from in front of him. "Be a bit gentler next time. Those doors are ancient."

Nougat merely grunts in reply as he passes by Tsuna. "Ancient must mean sturdy if it's still there after all these centuries."

"That definition of ancient only applies to you. Don't you think so, Tsuna?" Tsuna starts at being addressed so suddenly, lifting his head up so fast he fears a whiplash coming. Kind eyes crinkle at the sides as Tsuna hesitantly nods. "See, even Tsuna thinks so."

Further dissatisfied grunts come from Nougat, who had taken position by the window. His head is turned to face the outside but Tsuna isn't naive enough to think that he won't be listening to whatever the Vongola Nono had called the teen over. Said man gestures towards one of the chairs situated in the middle of the room. Across it is a wooden coffee table, with a pitcher of water and a few glasses on top of it, and a leather couch, upon which the older man sits at the same time Tsuna does. He resists clasping his hands together, to squeeze at them to try alleviate some of the tension in his body.

Timoteo takes note of this and decides to start with small talk. "How is your father, Tsuna?" Tsuna's shoulders tense for a millisecond before they're forced to relax. It's enough to tell Timoteo that he'd chosen the worst topic to open this conversation with.

"He's fine, sir. Last I heard of him he's on camp en route to Cavallone." The image of Nana's teary eyes filled with relief and sadness flashes through his eyes. "It seems he won't be joining us any time soon, though. He'll be on the road for at least a quarter of the year more."

Timoteo clucks his tongue, the wrinkles between his eyebrows deepening. "That's an awful lot of time to be spending away from one's family." As he had expected, Tsuna doesn't reply. He does nod stiffly after a moment when he remembers who he's talking with. Timoteo decides it's time to close the curtain on that conversation. "I suppose you know that this is not why I had called you over, yes?"

"I—yes?" The teen blushes when the man laughs, hands automatically clasping each other together like they always do when he's embarrassed. He had an inkling that the Vongola Nono won't call him just to ask about his father—they have men tracking down every move of every person who holds power, after all—but other than that, he has no clue what this meeting is going to even be about.

Hopefully not because he caused one of the dragons in the military compound to go into heat early. He swears to all the gods out there that he followed the recipe for curing indigestion!

"No, this isn't about that little stunt that you pulled a week ago," Timoteo says, chuckling when Tsuna cringes at the mention of it. "Though I might ask you for that aphrodisiac's recipe later. It might help boost the numbers of our dragons come mating season."

"Of...of course?" Tsuna nearly curls in on himself when he hears Nougat scoff. Wanting to get out sooner, he asks, "If I may ask," Tsuna pauses to look at Timoteo, continuing when the man nods for him to continue. "Why did you call for me if it's not about...last week?"

"I have a request to make of you, Tsuna," the man replies, not beating around the bush anymore. That one sentence has Tsuna's mind reeling, though he tries hard to ground himself when he hears Timoteo talk more. "Currently, we have no trained tamers to spare for what I'm about to ask of you, though I'm certain that you'll be more than enough to accomplish this on your own."

Tsuna worries the inside of his cheeks, emotions warring against each other inside of him. The initial burst of pride dissipates as quickly as it surfaces, quickly overlaid with disappointment and grudging acceptance. After all this time, he should've known that he'll always be the one called last. He's the infamous No-Good Tsuna, remembered last and only for the most menial tasks.

"Thank you for thinking me eligible for this task, sir," he says with a bow of his head, an action he's used so many times whenever his vision swirls.

The chuckle that reaches his ears is a mirthless one, making Tsuna meet Timoteo's gaze once more. "I don't  _think_  that you're  _eligible_  for this, Tsuna. I  _feel_  that you're  _fit_  for this." At Tsuna's confused expression, Timoteo merely shakes his head lightly and proceeds to say, "I'd like to ask of you to acquire a rain dragon—"

Nougat unfortunately chooses this time to drink the whiskey that he poured, the man hacking as though his lungs wanted to come out of him upon hearing Timoteo's  _request_. Behind him, Tsuna is fighting his own battle against the want to faint and need to hyperventilate. Nougat is the first one to recover between them, his eyes flashing with disbelief when he turns to face a smiling Timoteo.

"Are you out of your mind?" he rasps.

"No," is Timoteo's cool reply. He pours water in one of the empty glasses beside the pitcher and nudges it toward Tsuna. The teen doesn't take it. "Despite what you've heard of rain dragons, they're actually the most docile out of the dragons that are out there. Their capture rank just rose to what it is now due to them being on the brink of extinction, but I'm sure if one lays its eyes on Tsuna, it'd come over to him without a doubt. They're akin to puppies who gravitate to those that give off a kind aura."

Nougat makes a sound not unlike a groan, causing Tsuna to snap out of his stupor. "Am I to act as a b-bait?"

"Goodness no, child. Not for another tamer, that is." Timoteo barks with laughter. "Though I suppose that's another way of putting it. You'll be your own bait, a technique which few dragon tamers do practice." Timoteo smiles widely at the teen before him, eyes twinkling with amusement and confidence. Confidence about what, Tsuna doesn't know.

"I—" Tsuna holds his tongue for a second, a thousand thoughts buzzing through his mind so fast, half of them dedicated to convincing him to decline the job while the other half is pushing at him to accept.  _Best not to attempt it to save yourself from the impending embarrassment,_  the loudest voice in his head tells him. It's very persuading, tempting Tsuna more and more to follow it. Yet there's also this firm voice countering it, telling Tsuna to  _take it, for you do not know when the next opportunity will come._  However softer it may be compared to the other voices, it is equally convincing, repeating its message over and over again until Tsuna delights Timoteo by saying, "I will do my best to not disappoint you, sir."

And then Tsuna feels the weight of responsibility settle on him at the same time Timoteo reaches over the table to clasp his shoulders, the old man overflowing with happiness and mirth at Tsuna's answer. Tsuna smiles back at the man weakly, already running a thousand grim scenarios that might happen inside his head.

"Marvelous, marvelous!" Timoteo exclaims as he stands up, watching the teen do the same with less grace as he. "Now that we've settled that, you best be going now. Spanner will be waiting for you in his workshop with the information and equipment that you will need."

Promptly after that, he gets ushered outside by Nougat while Timoteo waves at him. Tsuna practically sprints down the corridor the moment the mahogany doors closed in front of him. He doesn't hear the snickers from the guards nor Nougat's aggravated voice that's followed by Timoteo's hearty laugh.

* * *

_Rain dragons were once closest to humans, not shying away from the human civilization when they expanded upon their territory unlike the other dragons. It was this willingness of theirs when it comes to mingling with humans that led to the rapid dwindling of their numbers. Their scales, brilliant like sapphires, sold for a lot in the markets, while some acquired them for pets who could turn water into ice even in the middle of summer. This eventually forced the few remaining rain dragons to disappear. Some said that they dove under the oceans, while some claimed that they now reside above the clouds to forever eliminate any chances of interacting with a human._

_Needless to say, they are now on par with the Sky dragons in terms of rarity, followed closely by the elusive Mist dragons._

* * *

Tsuna adjusts his backpack, not quite wincing when he thinks about how sore he's going to be after just a few hours of walking. Maybe two hours tops.

"Oh, Tsu-kun, isn't this exciting?" Nana Sawada is currently wrapping up a huge bento box for him, enough to last him for a whole day's journey. He has a few others crammed inside his bag along with a couple of clothes and potions. There's also a small pouch for first aid kit, too, something that Nana insisted he bring  _or else_.

Tying up the baby blue cloth wrapped around the bento box, Nana presents it to Tsuna with a huge smile. Her son smiles at her lopsidedly in return, gratefully taking the bento box. He leans into his mom's hand when she caresses his cheek, touch so gentle and warm. Tsuna doesn't comment on how he feels his mom's hand tremble a bit against his cheek or say anything about the tears clinging to her lashes.

"Make sure to take care, okay? No skipping of your meals, and please don't forget to send me a letter every now and then." Nana laughs lightly when her son scowls.

"I won't be gone for long, mom, so letters are truly unnecessary. Namimori is only about three to five days away from here, though I'm hitching a ride with some merchants so we'd probably be there by the third day. You know how snippy merchants can get when they're on the road for long."

"Still," Nana persists, eyebrow raising in that manner that must be exclusive to mothers. The you-better-do-it- _please-(or-else)_  eyebrow raise, as Tsuna dubbed it when he was nine years old.

"Fine, fine. I'll write as soon as I get to Namimori." As if on cue, the huge clock at the townsquare rings its bell, signalling the start of the new hour. Adjusting his backpack once more, Tsuna pulls his mom into a one-armed hug and presses a kiss to her cheek. "Try not to stay up to late grading papers, okay?"

"And you do your best in acquiring that rain dragon," Nana replies. She kisses both his cheeks and the tip of his nose, blithely ignoring his grimace. Cradling her son's face between her hands, Nana Sawada bids her son to take care as she lets him go on his first journey outside the safety of Vongola.

* * *

Much to Tsuna's relief, the trip to Namimori takes exactly three whole days and a half. Nothing exciting happens during the trip, save for the cloth merchant tripping over in the stream when he went to catch a carp.

Once the carts have been allowed inside the gates of Namimori after a brief inspection by the guards, Tsuna takes in the modest buildings that made up the small town. Whereas Vongola is comprised of tall, sturdy buildings made of stones and bricks, Namimori is littered mostly with houses made primarily of wood. A handful of larger buildings are situated near the center—a few eateries, stalls for various products, and some organization's offices— but the biggest of them all is the one at the inside-most of the village, tucked against the mountain that guards the back of Namimori. The huge building acts as the school and office for the rumoured  _Discipline Committee_ , the group which oversees the protection of Namimori.

"We'll be staying at that inn," the clothing merchant tells him, pulling Tsuna's attention away from their surroundings. He looks to where the man is pointing at: a modest-sized inn, presumably with about ten rooms. "Dunno if you're staying somewhere else, but I thought you'd want to know."

"Thank you, Mr. Ooyama."

Just then, a man passes by them, giving all the newcomers a cursory glance until his grey eyes land on Tsuna. The brunette feels the tension rising in the air, made even more apparent to him when Ooyama immediately excuses himself and actually  _runs_  to the inn. Tsuna sadly can't do the same, not when the man with the sharp gray eyes is standing directly in front of him, glaring him down.

"Uhm...hi?" Tsuna greets him, a nervous smile quirking his lips up.

"What is your business in Namimori?" the man asks him and Tsuna  _squeaks_  when two metal weapons slide out from the man's sleeves and into his hands.

"S-Sightseeing?" Even he knows what a lame excuse that was, so Tsuna resigns himself to being subjected to an uncomfortable  _treatment_ courtesy of the man glaring at him. He isn't looking forward to it, to be honest.

Thankfully, the gods are having a merciful streak today.

"Maa, maa, Hibari. That's no way to treat tourists." An arm rests on the glaring man's—Hibari—shoulders. Not a second later, Tsuna  _hears_  rather than sees the movement that Hibari and the newcomer make, and it takes another second for his brain to catch up and his self-preservation instincts to kick in.

"Hiieee!" Tsuna ducks under one of the carriages as the whistle of metal cutting the air comes close his way. He hears laughter accompany the sound of metal hitting wood and thinks,  _Nobody told me about this!_

The sound of the one-sided battle doesn't last long, ending with a disinterested "Hmph" from the scary man that confronted Tsuna. The brunette doesn't emerge from his hiding place right away, though, and he nearly lets out another shriek when a new person crouches down to peer under the carriage.

"Yo!" The man greets with a huge smile on his lips. He's quite tanned and has short, black hair that's spiky and warm brown eyes. Tsuna recognizes him as the one who laid his arm on the serious man's shoulders. "Sorry about Hibari; he's usually not that confrontational toward newcomers."

The man is giving off a friendly aura, very much unlike the man that just made Tsuna tremble with a mere glare, which coaxes Tsuna out from his hiding place. When the both of them stand up, Tsuna pulls a face at their height difference before he could prevent himself. This makes the man laugh as he holds a hand out. "I'm Yamamoto."

Tsuna shakes Yamamoto's hand, smiling back at him reluctantly. "Tsuna. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Yamamoto, and, uhm, thank you for earlier."

"Nah, don't worry about that. And just call me Yamamoto! Adding mister to my name makes me feel ancient." Yamamoto is all smiles when Tsuna repeats his name while dropping the honorific. Tsuna finds himself smiling, too. "Now, would you like a tour of Namimori? Since you're here for  _sightseeing_."

Tsuna laughs and nearly blushes at the conspiratory eyebrow-waggling that Yamamoto does. "That would be really nice, Yamamoto. If you don't mind, can you wait while I check in that inn first? I'd rather not sleep on the streets later just because I forgot to rent a room."

Yamamoto grins wide. "Go ahead. I don't mind waiting."

* * *

By the end of the day, Tsuna more or less has been introduced to nearly half of the residents of Namimori. The people didn't seem to consider them as someone that would bring harm to their town (unlike the man from the gate). Some elderlies even ruffle his hair at some point like he's their own grandson. Tsuna finds himself not minding it much.

"Well, aren't you a charmer?" Yamamoto tells him as he hands Tsuna his ice cream. They're taking a break at one of the stalls, watching people bustle by as they make their way home.

"Got it from my mom." Tsuna hums appreciatively as the cold treat floods his mouth. "Thank you for showing me around, Yamamoto. I had a lot of fun."

Yamamoto grins wide at that, the image made more endearing by the small patch of chocolate at the right side of his mouth. "Don't mention it! I had nothing to do anyway."

This reminds Tsuna that out of the numerous places that Yamamoto had shown him, not once did they pass by his house or workplace. Tsuna doesn't have any intention to pry about it, though. Yamamoto has done quite a lot for him already even though they just met. Gaze straying back to the huge building at the back of the town, Tsuna munches on his cone absently as he takes in the windows that still had lights in them.

"Say, Yamamoto." The man looks at him in acknowledgement. "What do they teach the children at school here? I know it's a weird question, but when we passed by earlier, I heard enthusiastic shouts behind the walls."

"Ah, that would be the self-defense classes." Tsuna turns interested eyes at Yamamoto, making the man's lips quirk up. "This is a small town that's quite far away from the capital. The residents can't always rely for help from another place, so they introduced a self-defense class in order for the young people to be prepared should any crisis arise. It's also mandatory for people who want to join the Discipline Committee to take it since Hibari absolutely won't tolerate inexperienced people in his group."

"That makes sense." A beat, then, "Wait, isn't Hibari the one who was glaring at me at the gate earlier?"

"Yup! That was Hibari Kyouya, the leader of Namimori's Discipline Committee!"

"Hiieee! Are you saying that I roused suspicion from the leader of the Discipline Committee!?"

Yamamoto chuckles and reaches over the table to ruffle Tsuna's hair, effectively calming his new friend. "Nah, that's just how Hibari usually is. You can ask the merchants; I'm sure most of them have been subjected to that kind of welcome."

Grumbling halfheartedly as he swats Yamamoto's hand away from his hair, Tsuna changes the topic by asking, "What do they teach in those self-defense classes? Hand-to-hand combat?"

"That and swordfighting."

A hoard of children floods the streets then, all of them clearly just coming out from the school. Tsuna and Yamamoto lets their conversation die in favor of watching the energetic children run around after one another. The chattering of mothers join in the noise, and when lanterns are lit, Tsuna can feel exhaustion creep in. Yamamoto seems to notice, since he stands up and motions for Tsuna to do the same. At Tsuna's questioning stare, he cocks his head to the direction of the inn that Tsuna is going to be staying.

"I'm walking you there."

"I don't need to be escorted," Tsuna says defiantly, though the effect is lost when he yawns.

Yamamoto shakes his head, clearly amused. "Can't have you suddenly fainting at the road. Hibari doesn't take kindly to people that suddenly pass out on the streets."

Tsuna's cheeks puff up at that, and he earns another hair ruffling from Yamamoto.

* * *

_Tsuna looks at Spanner expectantly, waiting for the blond mechanic to finish with whatever task he's currently preoccupied with. So as not to get bored, Tsuna's eyes wanders around the workshop. Many different things are littered all over the place, from gears to wrenches to spare parts: robotic arms, legs, and eyes, with the occasional weaponry here and there. There doesn't seem to be an organizational system employed within the workshop, since everything and anything are on various tables and boxes. Tsuna muses that he probably won't last long in this kind of workplace; he'd probably be able to find a certain object after months of searching for it._

_"You're looking for someone with black hair," Spanner suddenly says. Tsuna congratulates himself for not jumping in surprise._

_"A person with...black hair?" He repeats, staring straight into Spanner's uninterested blue eyes._

_"That's what I said." Spanner tosses a rug to one of the many tables. "A rain dragon has taken root in Namimori, and the only thing that can help us determine who it is will be if they have black hair or not."_

_"Isn't that a bit too..._ common _? I'm pretty sure most residents of Namimori have black hair," Tsuna argues. Surely, there must be something more specific and_ unique  _a characteristic that can help him identify who the dragon is? "And how do I know if that person is really the dragon?"_

_Spanner shrugs. "Dunno. Use that hyper intuition thing of yours, I guess."_

* * *

Tsuna wants to go home.  _Terribly_. He thinks that this is all just a part of an elaborate joke, considering that he's already on his fifth day in Namimori with no leads to this elusive rain dragon. Everywhere he turns, he sees black-haired people of different ages and genders, and it's really hard to narrow his search to even one group because he doesn't even have anything else to go by except for the  _hair color_. Even with his so-called  _hyper intuition_ , Tsuna doubts that he'll be able to locate this rain dragon any time soon.

Another thing that's making his quest harder is that he absolutely has to stay tightlipped about his true intent in visiting Namimori. Ever since the sudden scarcity of dragons, groups advocating how horrendous dragon tamers are for driving away the majestic creatures have popped up like mushrooms. Some stuck to just using words, while there are those who have used frightening ways using some dragon tamers as their  _props_  to get their points across. Tsuna remembers very clearly when Nana nearly pulled him out of his practice when an incident involving such a group was reported close to Vongola. She whispered to him that she wouldn't judge him if he'd rather not follow after his father's footsteps. Tsuna's heart clenched that time, but he prides himself for being able to assure his mom with a smile that  _everything's going to be fine_.

Rubbing his eyes,Tsuna decides that it's time for a walk.

* * *

He drops off his letter for Nana and another one addressed to an unspecific mailbox to the post office first before he strolls aimlessly at the streets of Namimori. There aren't that much people walking around at this time, everyone having either classes or businesses to attend to. The few people that Tsuna does pass by while walking either wave at him or glance at him briefly. Tsuna doesn't mind; the fleeting glances are much more welcome than the searching ones. Up until now, only the man named Hibari has given him those glances and Tsuna plans to keep it that way. This is one of the rare times when he thanks his lack of presence as a dragon tamer.

Slipping his hands inside his pockets, Tsuna wanders around aimlessly. His eyes continue to look at everything though his mind registers nothing, It's caught in between musing about what his mother must be doing right now and how he should approach the problem of finding the rain dragon. Lost deep in his thoughts, the brunette inevitably crashes into the person front of him that he fails to see. Apologies ready at the tip of his tongue, Tsuna recoils when he meets the angry glare of the burly man that he just collided into.

"I-I'm sorry," Tsuna stutters. He notices movement at the corner of his eyes, his stomach plummeting when he guesses that they must be this guy's henchmen or something.

"Huh? That all you got to say?" The man takes one step closer, crowding into Tsuna's personal space to intimidate him. "Didn't you know that a  _sorry_  ain't enough, kid?"

Tsuna's mind goes on an overdrive as he tries to think of how he can slip out of this situation. He can give these people money, which is what they must be expecting him to do, but Tsuna  _really_  doesn't want to do that. He can't fight back, though, especially not when there are two—no, three—opponents to take on. Three big opponents against his scrawny self.

"There you are, Tsuna!" a familiar voice calls out. Tsuna fights the temptation to sag in relief as he continues holding the gaze of the man before him, noticing how anger is replaced by apprehension. The man remembers that Tsuna is still looking at him, quickly hiding his apprehension by turning away.

"Watch where you're going next time," are the man's last words as he beckons his companions to follow him. Tsuna watches their retreating backs, only ripping his gaze from them when Yamamoto stops at his side.

"They weren't giving you a hard time, were they?" Yamamoto asks, concern clearly on his face.

Tsuna shakes his head from side to side, saying, "No. They were just telling me to watch out where I'm going next time." To escape further questioning, Tsuna changes the topic when he shifts his gaze from Yamamoto's face to the sword that he's holding. "You never told me you're interested in swordfighting."

Yamamoto grins sheepishly, lifting the sword a bit. "I haven't? Guess it must've slipped from my mind."

Tsuna considers him for a moment, hazel eyes staring directly into Yamamoto's brown ones. "Are you teaching or learning?"

"Teaching," Yamamoto replies with pride. "Wanna come watch? Can't guarantee that it'll be much more exciting than walking into people, though."

"Very funny," Tsuna grumbles, jabbing the now laughing man at the side.

* * *

"Pay attention to your forms. No, not like that, Shimizu, you're too stiff."

Yamamoto always comes off as a carefree guy that Tsuna is having a hard time believing that the man sternly teaching these children is the same man that gave him a tour of Namimori a few days ago. Sure, Yamamoto gives a smile every now and then to those who have managed to follow his instructions, but so far he's given more reprimands than he did with smiles. None of the students are complaining though, and it's actually a refreshing sight compared to how students back in Vongola acted. Yamamoto's obvious passion to the art of the sword is also very inspiring, so much that Tsuna loses track of time. By the time he manages to take note of the time, it's already early evening.

"You actually stayed for the whole lesson," Yamamoto tells him by greeting when he approaches. A blue towel is resting on his shoulders, Yamamoto using it to wipe the sweat off his neck as he waves to his students.

"As much as I hate to admit it, watching you train those children is far more exciting than running into people," Tsuna replies with a mock sigh. He earns a slap at his arm for it.

"Getting cheeky now, aren't ya?" Yamamoto is trying his hardest to frown, but they both know and can see that he isn't capable of doing it for the time being.

"You started it," Tsuna replies easily. If someone asks him right now if he's felt this easy camaraderie before, Tsuna won't be able to give an answer. He's been an outcast all his life, despite being the only son of one of the most influential people in Vongola. Perhaps that's one of the reasons why he's been excluded by most of his peers from their usual activities. Nepotism is an edge that most people yearns and are wary of when it comes to dragon taming.

Yamamoto gives him a look then, as though he's studying Tsuna for the first time since they met, and Tsuna returns it with a smile. "What is it?"

The other man hums. "Nothing. I was just thinking how similar you just looked like to a squirrel." Yamamoto then throws his soaked towel to Tsuna, who balks and makes a gagging noise.

"Eww,  _eww_ , Yamamoto you're  _gross_ ," Tsuna grimaces. He glares at the laughing man in front of him.

"Forgive me? I'll treat you to dinner," Yamamoto offers. He laughs once again at the exaggerated gasp that Tsuna makes.

"Is this how you pick up your dates? Because it's seriously gross and a turn off." Nevertheless, he follows the swordsman out of the school, falling in step beside him after jogging a bit.

"Nah. It's a new method that I just came up with. Guess it works, though, since you're tagging along." Yamamoto grins cheekily down at Tsuna, which the brunette replies to by sticking his tongue out childishly at the man.

* * *

"Hahi! Who is this new face?"

Tsuna tries not to lean back  _too much_  in an effort to be polite to the woman currently trying to scrutinize...his eyelashes. Tsuna bets that's the only thing the brunette woman can really see given their  _extreme_  closeness with each other. Yamamoto's laughing fills the background, and Tsuna kicks him in the shin to get him to  _do something_.

"This is Tsuna. Tsuna, this is Haru Miura, the owner of the clothes shop down the street," Yamamoto introduces them, placing his elbow on the table and resting his chin on his hand. He gives Tsuna a cheeky grin when the other shoots him a frustrated look.

"It's a...pleasure to meet you, Miur—"

"Haru," the woman quickly interrupts him.

"—H-Haru...san?" Tsuna squeaks when Haru frowns. "Haru! Haru," he amends, and that makes Haru nod in satisfaction and  _finally_ pull back.

Taking the seat across Tsuna, Haru bumps fists with a grinning Yamamoto. "You did good this time, Yamamoto."

"I know, right?"

In front of them, Tsuna tries very hard not to show that he's very  _out_  of the loop. Of course, he fails that miserably when the two across him burst out laughing. "H-Hey!" he says, suddenly feeling indignant, cheeks flushing as his eyes dart back and forth to Haru and Yamamoto. "God, someone please tell me that I did  _not_  choose the wrong crowd to mingle with."

"Maa, maa, that's not the case at all," Yamamoto placates him. Tsuna pouts at him as his unease and anger ebb out of him gradually. Damn Yamamoto and his charming smiles!

"Then what's the deal with the  _you did good this time_? That sounds very much like what shady people say!" Tsuna reasons out.

"Oh, yes, we're very shady people indeed." At this, Haru and Yamamoto glance at each other conspiringly. It makes Tsuna shiver and want to run away. "If you consider dressing people up with cute clothes as a shady business, then we're your people!"

Thankfully, intervention arrives in the form of their ordered food. Tsuna muses how Haru gets her own dishes, and tacks it on the fact that Haru must be a regular in this restaurant, too. The raucous atmosphere that they had going on had dissipated in favor of pleasant silence as they dig in to their meals.

Halfway through finishing his ramen, Tsuna asks, "How come I haven't seen you before tonight, Haru?"

Haru nibbles on a carrot first before answering. "I was delivering a few custom orders to the towns nearby. Some wealthy people are getting a headstart with the preparations for that  _special occasion_."

Tsuna pauses with his wiping of his lips. "That...oh. Is  _that_  close already?"

Haru shrugs. "Not for a good five months more, at least. People here just want to get their clothes done earlier, so that they can freely say that they had this style and that style first than anybody else. It's a bad idea, if you ask me." At Tsuna's inquiring glance, Haru leans forward and seriously says, "Trends come and go as fast as the wind does. What's hot two months prior can be  _not_ hot today.

"Yet those rich folks do it anyway," Haru finishes with a sigh as she leans back to her chair. "They're so caught up with the thought of impressing those high tier peoples instead of listening to the fashion expert. If they just listened to me, those snobbish bastards  _might_  even glance their way  _twice_!"

Tsuna coughs at his napkin, making Yamamoto glance abruptly at him. Nothing come's out of that though when Haru propels herself forward once more, face mere inches away from Tsuna's. The brunette swears there are stars in her eyes.

"Do you have anything important going on tomorrow?" she asks hopefully.

"Uhm, no?"

Haru squeals. "Then we're going on a date! Tomorrow!"

"Oh— _what_?"

"Haha, seems like you've landed yourself another date, Tsuna! Smooth, man, smooth." Tsuna groans when Yamamoto winks at him.

* * *

While on his way to the post office three days after Yamamoto treated him to dinner, Tsuna replays the events of the past two days with a smile on his face. Haru is...a very energetic woman and she isn't afraid of forcing her way into people's barriers, as is evident when she literally dressed Tsuna up for their so-called date then proceeded to drag him all over Namimori. Despite that, she knew when not to touch a sensitive subject, something Tsuna appreciated when she did her best not to question Tsuna much about his family or what he does for a living. (He told her that he's on some sort of soul-searching journey that's been blessed and approved by his parents. In some ways, it wasn't a complete lie.)

After their date that day, Haru filled the empty space beside him when Yamamoto wasn't around. It's funny how close he had gotten to the two by just spending a few days with them, but Tsuna doesn't mind. He certainly wouldn't trade what he's now experiencing back for his life before.

In the middle of reliving his experiences with Haru, Tsuna spots the scary man named Hibari stalking toward his direction. Not necessarily to him, Tsuna wishes desperately as he wills himself to continue walking while keeping his eyes down to the ground. He steers his thought away from the highly intimidating man just a few feet away from him by thinking that, whoever got his letter should have used a pigeon to have their reply delivered back here in Namimori.

He's not even finished listing who the possible recipients of his letter may have been when the wind is pushed against his lungs. He gathers his bearings as quickly as possible, the haze on his mind being cleared away by panic when he realizes what caused his sudden breathlessness.

"H-Hibari-san," Tsuna croaks out, standing on his tiptoes in order to be able to breath more easily. The tonfa pressed hard at his throat and the man's steel eyes are making his task very hard.

"I dislike disturbances here in Namimori," the so-called guardian of Namimori tells Tsuna, voice low and threatening in its calmness. "Should  _you_  cause any disturbances during your stay here, better forget about hiding behind that friend of yours because even  _he_  won't be able to protect you from me."

Pressing himself closer to the wall, Tsuna manages a whimper that Hibari, thankfully, takes as his agreement. Just like that, the man retracts his tonfa and turns on his heel, leaving behind a dazed brunette slumped against the wall. Once he catches his breath, Tsuna zips his vest up till the end, knowing that his upturned collar would do well in hiding the unmistakable bruise that's already appearing on his neck. Glumly, he treks toward the post office slowly, forcing a smile and cheerful greeting to the man who's handling the mail that day as he hands Tsuna the letter that he's been waiting on. Tsuna then promptly goes back to his room at the inn, racking his brains for a viable excuse should Yamamoto ask him the next day as to why he's absent to the swordsmanship class that Yamamoto's teaching.

It doesn't take him long because he's done this a lot in the past. So is treating the newly-blossomed bruise, an angry red blossoming on his lightly tanned skin. Tsuna sighs as he brings out the ointments that he brought along with him. Reading the letter could wait.

* * *

_Sadly, I can't give you any more leads regarding our mysterious rain dragon. Spanner and I have checked with all of our contacts once more but have gained nothing in the end._

_What we did manage to find out is that the information must have leaked somehow. Be careful; you might find other dragon tamers there soon._

* * *

Tsuna wakes up to the immense throbbing at the back of his head. Eyes still closed, he lifts his hand up and gingerly touches the throbbing spot, wincing at the pain that blossoms from it. Checking his hand, Tsuna is grateful to see no blood on it. He moves on to check the rest of his being, checking off what seems to be missing from his person. He doesn't get to finish when he hears a twig snap in half, the sound of boots crunching the ground underneath it alerting Tsuna that he's new companion isn't an errant wildlife. Glancing up, Tsuna bites his bottom lip at the sneer that the other man has.

"Yer awake, eh? That's good; was kinda worried fer a while there that yer dead." The man spits the leaf that he's been chewing before continuing, "If ye had died, it'd be harder fer me to handle the dragon."

Tsuna's been taught at a young age not to talk to strangers, especially those who have abducted him. He's perfectly done that in the past, though right now he couldn't just keep mum as he processed the man's words.

"You talk as though you know who the dragon is," Tsuna says, voice steady as he holds the man's gaze. The brunette frowns at the man's boisterous laugh.

"Don't tell me ye don't know who it is?" The man snorts condescendingly toward Tsuna's direction. "Hah! Those guys back at Vongola sure weren't lying about the infamous Dame-Tsuna!"

Upon hearing the nickname that he's been damned with ever since he could remember, Tsuna curls up on himself, willing his tears to go away. He hears the man call him pathetic, and Tsuna doesn't rebuff him because it's  _true_. If it wasn't for his father and the mysterious fondness that Timoteo holds for him, Tsuna is sure that he wouldn't even dream to achieve where he is currently.

"Doesn't matter if yer a useless dragon tamer," the man continues to berate him. "Yer good for bait, and that's all's that matters."

Tsuna's mind goes on an overdrive, putting pieces together as fast as he could based on the man's words. Realization is starting to trickle in as seconds pass, dread making his heart beat faster and faster as he chants  _no no no_ repeatedly. Despite what others have said, Tsuna isn't as slow as he is made to be. Using him as bait for a dragon is a stupid idea  _unless_ —

Then Tsuna hears someone shout his name, the person sounding frantic and crazed. His heart beats even  _faster_  against his ribs, the loud thudding echoing in his ears. But even that can't drown out the  _familiar_  voice in an  _unfamiliar_ tone calling out for him. His hyper intuition suddenly goes crazy at that, voices in his head screaming  _danger danger!_  and urging him to run away. Tsuna would have done just that had it not been for the net suddenly being pulled up from beneath him, effectively trapping the brunette midair and making it easy to spot him amidst the trees. The shouts cease almost immediately, and dread fills Tsuna's every being when he looks at the first  _and_ last person that he wanted to find him.

"Tsuna!" In another time, Yamamoto would have passed as a comical sight, leaves stuck on his hair and dirt smeared on his cheeks. What the image of his disheveled friend does to Tsuna is make his heart clench, his knuckles going white as he grips the net in an effort to pull himself upright.

"What do ye know? It worked!" Two sets of eyes snap to the other dragon tamer, the man appearing relaxed despite the tenseness in the air. "Guess this is really why the Nono sent you here, to be that bait, eh? Betcha the kid didn't tell ye that he's a friggin'  _dragon tamer!_ "

His breathing staggering, flashes of his conversation with Timoteo and Yamamoto's laughter mingling before his eyes. In his hazy mind, he hears his name being called once more, though the voice is now muffled. Then there's a cracking noise slicing through the silence of the forest, the sound potent enough to snap Tsuna's attention back to his surroundings.

He feels his blood run cold as he registers the metal harpoon currently embedded on Yamamoto's shoulder, the make of it reminding him of the smell of oil and a certain blond's workshop. "Stop!  _Stop!_ " Tsuna screams through the net, though to whom he's directing it at, he doesn't know. He supposes it's for Yamamoto who's still moving forward despite the metal sticking out of his flesh, or to the dragon tamer a few feet away from him who's grinning maniacally before he presses a button at his wristband.

The harpoon produces an odd whistling noise before releasing the electricity stored in it, the defeaning crackle of it not enough to mute Yamamoto's screams. Belatedly, Tsuna registers his own screams, too, as he helplessly watches the electricity ravage Yamamoto's body.

"Ey, kid," the man addresses him, though it's apparent that he's not interested whether Tsuna's listening or not. "One way to force a dragon out of their shape shifting is to electrocute them."

 _Then if Yamamoto's not a dragon, he'd_ —

'Course it won't work against thunder drags; that's Dragon Taming 101 for y—"

Tsuna hears the whistle caused by an object traveling through the air  _fast_  immediately followed gurgling sound that the tamer makes, his unseeing eyes shifting to the side. A long, thin icicle has punctured through the man's throat, blood dripping on its other end as the untainted end is gripped on feebly by the tamer before he falls backward. The sound of the electricity dissipates, and Yamamoto's screams are also noticeably absent. Though the  _antagonist_  is dead, the dread that has taken home at the pit of his stomach has yet to go away.

Metal banging against a rock causes Tsuna to flinch, the net he's in swaying in the air due to his sudden movement. His predicament makes itself known when Tsuna hears the approaching footsteps and he finds that he  _can't get away._ He doesn't get to panic long when a shadow is cast over him, his eyes stuck at the— _blue scales_  scattered on tanned skin.

"Tsuna."

The voice is gravelly, nearly a stranger's if it isn't for the similar way his name is pronounced the same way how a certain swordsman pronounces Tsuna's name. Tsuna hazards a glance upward, the setting sun behind Yamamoto casting a shadow on the face that Tsuna ( _doesn't_ ) wants to see. He sees the bright blue eyes first, so unlike the usual  _warm_  brown ones that he's accustomed to, then his vision widens and his heart  _stops_  at the betrayal and  _hurt_  that he finds in the lines of Yamamoto's face.

"Yama—"

There's the whistling noise again, and Tsuna wonders if this is how the other tamer felt like when darkness completely takes over him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me go sleep for a thousand years I swear to god I am never writing 7.5k words just for one chapter ever again the pain THE AGONY
> 
> Thanks to those who read, though! There's a second chapter that's definitely gonna be done, but this thing managed to grow and grow while I was plotting it with Roey so there might be more chapters (might being the keyword). P.S. I will add the pairing tags later I THINK


	2. Twice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to all those who took interest in this story! I also want to say a special thanks to my onee-sama (carolin) that became this chapter's impromptu beta. Without her, I would still be agonizing over everything hahahaha...

 

As soon as he places his piece on the board, a man lifts his head up, inclining it toward the direction of his home's entrance. Across him, his opponent looks up at him with inquiry in his blue eyes. He needn't give an answer to his opponent, though, for the audible beat of wings against the air is more than enough of an answer for the both of them. Its volume isn't that of a bird's, yet none of them takes alarm since there's only one other person besides them who knows of this place.

"He is quite early today, is he not?" The younger of the two speaks first, hand hovering over the board as he studies the pieces laid out before him. He receives a grunt in reply.

"Eh, it's not like he's following a schedule or something." Tsuyoshi Yamamoto resumes to watching the board when he hears no war cries from outside, a frown making the lines on his face appear deeper to show his displeasure. "You're getting more and more dangerous in this game."

"It's only because you're a great teac—"

There's a loud  _thud_  behind him, the impact of the object that hit the floor rattling the board and their shogi pieces. Tsuyoshi sighs as he glumly stares at the prematurely ended game before turning to the cause of this mess, ready to give a lecture on manners and handling things better. His words never leave his mouth, the picture of his son with what seems to be a fourth of his scales displayed freely on his exposed skin stopping his tirade before it even managed to start. Coupled that with his son's shadowed eyes, the marks he assumes are burns that are rapidly healing, and the curled body—unconscious but  _breathing_ , he notes with relief—by the feet of the younger dragon, no one can really blame him for being rendered speechless.

"What," he manages to croak out, eyes now fixed on the unconscious form lying on the floor, "is the meaning of  _this_ , Takeshi?"

"A dragon tamer," Takeshi Yamamoto answers, the words uttered like a curse. At the edge of his peripheral vision, Tsuyoshi notices his shogi opponent stiffening at the hostility in his son's voice.

Tsuyoshi spares his son a fleeting glance before he continues examining the dragon tamer. He sees no visible physical injuries so far, but that isn't exactly helpful since the only bare skin that he can see is of the tamer's face.  _Extremely young_ -looking face. Tsuyoshi glumly looks back up to his son, whose cold stare is still in place. "If he's a dragon tamer, then why bring him here?"

For a second, the air seems to grow heavier, almost suffocating in its weight. The effect is dispelled when Takeshi turns on his heel, leaving his father, their guest, and his...captive behind.

Heaving out another sigh, Tsuyoshi mutters, "Foolish child." He scratches the back of his neck as he moves to approach the dragon tamer, only to be stopped by a hand grasping his elbow. Knowing what's already to come, Tsuyoshi says, "You're a  _guest_ , Basil. It won't be gracious of me to let you—"

"I insist." Basil's eyes lit by determination stops him from speaking any further, and Tsuyoshi really can't do anything else aside from watch him gently pick up the unaware dragon tamer off the floor. He takes in the gentleness of Basil's movements and decides that maybe it wasn't Takeshi's anger that caused Basil to freeze earlier.

"Follow me, then." He starts walking deeper inside the house, Basil's soft footsteps following right behind him. Now that he's been given time to process things, Tsuyoshi is glad that Basil readily offered his assistance. This means Tsuyoshi can retreat to his kitchen earlier and have more than ample time to mull over his thoughts and observations.

* * *

_Heavy eyelids lift up to reveal brown eyes, their owner shivering despite the heavy blanket covering him from neck to toe. Blearily, he takes in the sight of his bedroom's familiar wallpaper, unease creeping into him slowly. Willing his mind to function better through the haze of sleep still clouding his mind, the young child slowly sits cold of the morning quickly embraces him, though the child pays it no mind as his young mind gives him an answer as to why the bed feels colder than before when his hand registers the small amount of warmth at the space to his left and the absence of its source._

_Throwing the covers off of him, the small boy jumps off the bed and runs to his slightly opened door, his heart beat loud in his ears. He nearly trips down the stairs four times and nearly bumps against the small table that has his mom's favourite vase on top before he manages to reach the kitchen. His mother's head shoots up at the sound of his ragged breathing, surprise making her forget to hide the despair in her eyes._

" _Tsu-kun," Nana starts, voice pained and guilty._

_That's all it takes to make the tears roll down a young Tsuna's cheeks._

* * *

Trying to roll over to his side, Tsuna's groan turns into a yelp when sharp pain slices through his sleep-fogged mind. There's a movement beside him, cold hands gently urging him to lay on his back once more. Tsuna doesn't resist, the pain clouding his judgement at the moment. A soft voice reaches his ears, the words that are uttered completely alien to him and then there's something cold pressing at the area on his neck that aches badly. In under a minute, the pain subsides and Tsuna more or less could focus on anything else besides wanting to die.

"Does that alleviate some of the pain?"

Tsuna turns his head a bit toward the origin of the soft voice, eyes opening to meet blue ones. His heart falters in his chest, throat constricting as memories of what happened before he lost consciousness rushing back to him. The person watching him must have noticed, concern etched on their face while they wait for Tsuna's response.

"I'm— yeah, it does. Thank you," Tsuna says weakly once he's managed to suppress an incoming anxiety attack. Still, it's getting harder and harder for him to breathe, his mind urging him to sit up. Tsuna tries to do so and is dismayed when he finds his arms too weak to even move let alone push himself up. A frustrated noise escapes him, alerting his companion of his distress.

"Here, let me assist you." Before moving to do so, his caretaker looks at Tsuna for approval, which Tsuna grants him through nodding slightly. Slowly, Tsuna is able to sit up with the aid of his helper, his chest loosening gradually once he's up until he can breathe more easily again. The hands on the small of his back and arm somehow become a source of comfort for Tsuna in his disorientation.

"Thank you," he tells his companion once again, to which he gets a reply in the form of a small yet warm smile.

"You're welcome." The hands supporting him relinquish their hold on him to retrieve a glass of water sitting at the tray set by the foot of the futon that Tsuna's currently resting on. Tsuna takes the offered glass with another mumbled thanks before he gulps its contents greedily, thankful for the alleviation of the parchness of his throat that's brought on by each gulp.

Once he's emptied it, Tsuna cradles the cold glass in between his hands as he regards his caretaker. Only then is he able to take it the other's features, like their dirty blonde hair and the rather androgynous make of their face. What really catches Tsuna's attention the most are the blue eyes that remind Tsuna of a certain swordsman, though whereas Yamamoto's eyes were cold back then, the eyes currently studying him back are warm despite the coolness of their colour.

His intuition starts nagging at him then, which Tsuna brushes off when he suddenly remembers his manners. "I'm sorry for not asking earlier but, what's your name? I'm Tsuna, by the way."

Tsuna most definitely doesn't blush when the other person chuckles in a fond way. He does catch the flash of  _something_  those blue eyes, passing so fast that Tsuna thinks he must have just imagined it.

"Do you think it wise to just give your name out to a stranger?" Tsuna  _is_  most definitely blushing by now, his cheeks and the tips of his ears tinged with pink. The questioning voice holds no malice, though, only fondness (which makes Tsuna wonder why that's so in the first place).

Deciding to take mercy on his blushing charge, the stranger says, "I am Basil, young master Tsuna. It is a pleasure to be your acquaintance."

Tsuna sputters at the title that he's given, garnering another chuckle from Basil and a light dismissal to the attempts to get him to drop the title. Their friendly banter is interrupted when the door slides open, revealing a middle-aged man with a white cloth wrapped around his forehead and a mature face that reminds Tsuna of Yamamoto. He's carrying another tray, this time with a bowl where light wisps of steam are rising up from and another glass of water. His eyes, alarmingly similar to Yamamoto's, takes in the scene before him.

"And here I thought you were gonna sleep for the whole week." Stepping inside the room and using his foot to slide the door shut beside him, the man hands the tray over to Basil. He then passes by Tsuna's bed to approach the windows, sliding one open and sitting at the frame. Outside, the sky is being painted orange by the setting sun.

Knowing that Tsuna's been following him with his eyes, the man sighs and says, "Eat first. Believe me, you'll need all the energy that you can get, since  _I_  have as much questions to ask you as you probably do."

"I, uhm," Tsuna starts, pausing to steady the tray with the bowl of soup that Basil places on his lap. "Thank you, Mister…" He purposely trails off, letting his question hang in the air.

The man sighs in irritation while Basil answers, "Tsuyoshi Yamamoto, the master of this house."

Before Tsuna can utter a word, Tsuyoshi grumbles, "Alternatively, you can refer to me as the father of the dragon who took you here." There's a pause, then, "He didn't kidnap you in an attempt to anger your group or anything like that, didn't he? Heaven knows that I really can't deal with placating a hoard of dragon tamers searching for their lost comrade."

"Your son isn't the type to do such petty things," Basil tells the man, voice bordering on reprimanding.

Tsuna, on the other hand, is trying his hardest not to faint once again. He is somehow in  _Yamamoto's_   _house_ ,  _alive_  despite his occupation as a dragon tamer being known, and talking to Yamamoto's  _father_  who is most likely to be another  _rain dragon._ Basil, he thinks, must be a dragon, too. He doesn't notice that his hands have been shaking until lighter ones— Basil's, his mind helpfully supplies— cover his.

"Is...is he—"

"No, he's not around at the moment," Tsuyoshi answers his unfinished question. "Don't worry your head off about him. He'll be back before you know it."

"You must eat first, young master Tsuna." Basil merely smiles at the displeased noise that Tsuna makes. "Your body needs it terribly for you have been out of commission for nearly two days now."

Tsuna's eyes nearly falls off their sockets at that, even more so when his stomach makes an embarrassingly loud growl. Chin tucked to his chest to hide his mortified blush, Tsuna begins eating, enjoying the tranquility that has been bestowed on him for the time being.

* * *

Contrary to the peace that Tsuna is basking in, the younger Yamamoto is currently fighting viciously against an equally, if not more, vicious Hibari Kyoya. Not long after he dropped Tsuna unceremoniously in front of his father, Takeshi flew out once again, his rage still bubbling inside him. He lands at the same spot where he felled the other dragon tamer, unsurprised to see Hibari and his most trusted man, Kusakabe, already securing the area for investigation. Hibari turns to him and it's all the warning that Takeshi gets. Birds fly away from their perches when the sound of weapons hitting each other echoed through the forest, subsequently followed by more of the same noise.

That was nearly two days ago, though neither fighters are willing to back down, not yet. Wounds and bruises are scattered all over their bodies, some more serious than the others.

Takeshi presses the back of his hand at the right side of his chin, not the least bit surprised that it's coated with red when he looks down at it. He also takes cursory note of his shredded pants and shirt and the dirt that coats his limbs.

"This is pointless, Yamamoto Takeshi." Above him, standing on a large boulder, is his opponent. Hibari only has his slacks and white-turned-brown shirt, both obviously unusable after this fight due to the huge tears and holes that now decorate them, and tonfas on his person. Exhaustion can be seen at the barely there slump of his shoulders, but Takeshi knows that Hibari is never one to give up so soon.

He is proven right when Hibari demands, "You cannot protect him forever. Hand over the  _herbivore_  from Vongola so that I can bite him to death for causing disturbance here in Namimori."

Takeshi doesn't know which sets him off— whether it be Hibari's demand or his insinuation that Takeshi's  _protecting_  that  _dragon tamer_ -

Takeshi snarls and lunges toward Hibari, starting their battle anew.

* * *

Right after he finished his meal, Tsuyoshi orders him to go to sleep and tells him that they'll talk tomorrow. When the door closes, Basil assures Tsuna that Tsuyoshi isn't normally this irritable, though his son's actions have made his more stern parental side to rear its head up.

"I see…" Tsuna mutters, guilt showing in his face as he replays what happened back in the woods. Flashes of Yamamoto's frantic shouts and his  _cold_  blue eyes make Tsuna grip his blanket tighter. He momentarily forgets that Basil has yet to leave the room, so immersed at the thought of losing his  _first_  friend and the depression that it gives him.

"Young master Tsuna," Basil starts, politely not commenting on the way Tsuna startles. "Whatever it is that happened between the two of you, I am certain that things will be sorted out in the end. The young master of this house isn't one to hold grudges for long."

Shiny brown eyes peer up to Basil from underneath wet lashes, the hope and helplessness warring behind the tears causing Basil's heart to skip a beat. "Do you really think so, Basil?" Tsuna's voice is laced with uncertainty and fear, lending more to the image of a boy lost that he is projecting at the moment. It tugs at Basil's protective instincts, something that he doesn't truly want to resist.

Still, he can't just carelessly give Tsuna a confirmation to what he is hoping for, for even he is as much of an amateur as Tsuna is when it comes to reading the younger Yamamato. Instead, Basil settles with saying, "Have faith that tomorrow will be a better day, young master Tsuna."

To his relief, Tsuna lets himself be tucked in bed by Basil. He thinks it's partly because he seems to be very deep in thought, but he doesn't believe that fully since Tsuna's eyes are sharper now than they were earlier. The browns of Tsuna's irises have turned into golden amber due to reflecting the light from the lamp, and Basil finds that he can't break his gaze away from them even if he tried with all his might.

"Basil?" Tsuna's voice is merely above a whisper, piquing Basil's curiosity. He hums, a sign for Tsuna to continue. "You might think me crazy for saying this but...I feel like I've seen...like I've  _known_  you before."

Basil's expression morphs into a melancholic one, simultaneously mesmerizing and worrying Tsuna. He opens his mouth to speak, to say sorry in case he has managed to offend his caretaker, but he doesn't get to say anything when Basil shakes his head. His soft smile is back in place, no trace of melancholy or distress in his face.

"Those words make me happy, young master Tsuna," Basil whispers cryptically. He then bids Tsuna goodnight and leaves the room to let Tsuna rest.

Unfortunately, it doesn't cross his mind that now he's left Tsuna with more things to contemplate about aside from trying to salvage his friendship with Yamamoto. Tsuna wishes that he could simply let go of Basil's enigmatic words, but his blasted intuition is hellbent on  _not_  making him dismiss it so easily.

"Ugh, there goes a good night's sleep." Not that he needed it after being asleep for a whole day and a half. Not at all.

* * *

" _Tsu-kun, I'm sorry. Stop crying now, please?"_

_Nana is at a loss as to how she can make her son stop crying, not when even she has tears running down her eyes. The shroud of loneliness that had been a constant in her son's life has finally been lifted, yet now it's returning with a heavier weight when fate plays a cruel joke on her son by making his father as this story's antagonist._

* * *

Tsuyoshi opens their discussion with, "Tell me you didn't try to force a bond to my son."

The statement alone is bad enough by itself, but the sight of the older Yamamoto polishing a knife that he just used to cut fish makes Tsuna's face go pale in record time. He vehemently shakes his head from side to side, trembling a little under the harsh scrutiny of the older man.

"Hm," Tsuyoshi says once he's deemed that Tsuna isn't lying. He inspects the knife, turning it this way and that way. He can feel Tsuna apprehensively watch the knife closely. "If that isn't what's got his inner drama queen out, then what is?" The knife slides smoothly in its place on the cutlery block, Tsuna's apprehension visibly leaving his face as more of the metal slides out of sight.

"I—it's...I'm not sure myself." He visibly flinches at the Tsuyoshi's annoyed glare. "I, uhm, I got kidnapped. By another dragon tamer. He used me to be the bait— to lure out the rain dragon rumored to be in Namimori." There's no point in lying; Tsuna is  _this_  close to saying that Tsuyoshi has hyper intuition himself. The older Yamamoto just seems to  _know._

"Huh." Tsuyoshi waves his hand for Tsuna to continue while grabbing a bowl of rice and a sheet of dried seaweed.

Squirming, Tsuna rubs his palms on the fabric of his pants, continuing, "I never...told him. About my occup—about being a dragon tamer. It's not an introduction that I'm used to give."  _Because I'm a failure for a dragon tamer, anyway._ "And it's not really safe to announce yourself as a dragon tamer right off the bat. Not with groups threatening to flay dragon tamers on sight prowl across the lands."

"Also because you're on some secret mission, too, right?" Tsuyoshi scoffs at the guilt that prevails in Tsuna's red face. "Listen, kid, I don't know what you've been promised for this job, but you best forget about trying to take  _any_  dragon from Namimori."

A silence filled with tension blankets them, Tsuyoshi deftly making sushi while Tsuna stares a hole at the table. The older man thinks that that's how Basil will find them, immersed in their own thoughts without having said another word to each other. To his surprise, he hears Tsuna take a deep breath to fortify himself.

"I haven't really thought of finding the rain dragon that much. Not since Yamamoto b...befriended me." Tsuna nearly falters on his last words, regret and longing clearly written all over his face.

Then he looks up at Tsuyoshi with wide, pleading eyes, the sheer intensity of desperation in them shocking Tsuyoshi. "You...you have to believe me when I say that I didn't make friends with him because he's a dragon; I didn't even know that he was a dragon until that man kidnapped me to use me as bait!"

Tsuna bites at his bottom lip hard while he fights the tears back, and Tsuyoshi sees  _now_  why his son is so angry. He sighs as he laments at the fact that he will have to step in as opposed to just be a spectator to this mess.

Besides, he can call in a favor from a certain person if he does manage to fix this mess.

When he's finished with slicing the sushi rolls, Tsuyoshi arranges them on a plate, letting Tsuna collect himself after his outburst. Once he's done, he sets the plate down in front of Tsuna and tells him, "Remember those words and repeat them to the correct Yamamoto."

Tsuyoshi has never seen so much hope and relief reflected in a human's eyes before, and decides right then and there that, yes, there's no doubt that this is the person that has captured his son's loyalty.

Even if they're both still oblivious about it.

* * *

The day quickly turns to night, and Tsuna finds himself wandering to the front door after exploring around the small house. It didn't take long for him to walk through all of the house, save for the bedrooms located at the east, since it only has one floor. He took great care not to wander to the rooms and not to open any cupboards earlier, for fear of breaking the tiny bit of trust that the elder Yamamoto has granted him so far. He did take pleasure at examining the wooden carvings that adorned the top of the bookshelf in the living room and the books underneath them. Most of the titles that he saw are all about swordsmanship, a few about cooking, and a handful about history. There's not much to look at after that, the entire house rather bare aside from the essentials. It doesn't detract from making it feel homey, though.

Tsuna stares at the door for a moment, suddenly unsure if he's allowed to go outside or not. He tries to remember if he's been referred to as a prisoner or anything of the sort, but Tsuyoshi and Basil haven't treated him as one so far. Pondering over the matter for a few more seconds, Tsuna decides that it shouldn't be too much of a problem if he just stayed around the house. That's not so bad, right?

Making up his mind, Tsuna opens the door and immediately gasps at the sight that he's greeted with. Instead of a pavement or dirt road, he sees a small area of rough ground before the, he hazards, edge of a cliff. Based on the forest being reduced to mere patches of greens and blues, Tsuna estimates that the house must be 18,000-foot high above ground. Dizziness instantly assaults him, though it isn't strong enough to make his knees buckle under him.

"Young master Tsuna!" Basil calls out to him somewhere from the left. He jogs up to Tsuna, face flushed and appearing to be quite short of breath.

"Are you okay, Basil?" Tsuna asks, meeting Basil halfway and checking him for anything that's amiss. He lets out a sigh of relief when Basil nods and notes how the small smile on Basil's lips widen at his concern.

"Out exploring?" It's Tsuna's turn to nod, glad when Basil doesn't frown or show disagreement with his current venture. "Ah, if that is the case, please follow me. There's a spot with the most marvelous view of the sunset just around the corner that may be of more interest to you, young master Tsuna."

Tsuna pouts at the title tacked before his name; he's been trying to get Basil to drop it ever since their first conversation, but Basil is adamant and won't change his mind regarding the matter. He decides not to comment on it this time, opting to nod for Basil to lead the way. Basil readily leads the way and Tsuna wonders why he is radiating so much delight.

When they turn around the corner, Tsuna sees stairs carved on the mountain, leading up to what he guesses is the true summit of the mountain that they're on. He really doesn't like the idea of going up further, but Basil's excitement at showing Tsuna what lies up ahead erases down any reluctance from his mind. Taking in a fortifying breath, Tsuna follows Basil closely, eyes stubbornly set on the rough surface of the stairs.

The night's chilly wind ruffles his hair softly when they finally reach the summit. Tsuna isn't able to stop the gasp that escapes his lips, eyes wide as he drinks in the scene of the sun painting the skies red as it descends down the horizon. Silhouettes of various mountains are scattered all around them, parts of them hidden by a few errant low-hanging clouds that crawl by. He's seen the sunset so many times back in Vongola, but that can't compare to the one before him right now. Without the obstructions caused by the countless buildings that made up the city of Vongola, Tsuna can clearly see the splashes of reds and oranges that currently dominate the usually blue skies.

"It's beautiful," he whispers, completely mesmerized to the point that he forgets everything else.

"Indeed," Basil agrees, though his eyes aren't focused on the sunset before them.

Instead, they're trained on the boy beside him.

* * *

"Ah! Mr. Yamamoto!" Haru exclaims, opening the door wider and ushering the man inside her store. She locks it behind her and motions for the man to follow her as she walks toward the door at the back. "Thank goodness you're here! I was just going out to send a message to you when you arrived."

"Sorry if my idiot son has caused you trouble," Tsuyoshi genuinely apologises. He frowns at the strained smile that Haru gives him.

"It's no problem at all! It's just...I have never seen Yamamoto this...like  _this_." Haru chews on the inside of her cheek as she stops before the door. "He's all bruised and wounded but he won't let me help him clean his wounds. He's just sitting there on the chair…"

Tsuyoshi places his hand on Haru's shoulder and gently squeezes it. "You've done more than enough, Haru, and thank you for that." His lips quirk up in a small smile when the shadow on Haru's eyes lifts up. "I'd like to ask one more favor from you though. Can you lend us your home for a bit?"

Haru doesn't hesitate in giving her agreement, smiling at Tsuyoshi as she steps away from the door. "Just—don't touch my sewing tools, okay?" Haru tells him before turning on her heel and walking out of her shop to give the two men privacy.

Tsuyoshi allows himself to smile briefly, waiting until he hears the front door shut. Once he's sure that Haru's shop is empty save for him and his son, he then proceeds to open the door and walk inside the seamstress' living quarters. It's as neat as a part-home, part-workshop could be, the tables that are pushed against the walls drowning under heaps upon heaps of fabric and threads. Tsuyoshi walks past all of them, not even bothering to glance around as he goes straight to the reason of his visit here in Namimori.

He finally finds his son sitting beside a window, wounds unattended to and every inch of his skin covered with bruises. Tsuyoshi scrunches up his nose in disgust. "You better not be thinking about bleeding yourself dead here. It's impolite to Haru."

Takeshi only shrugs in response, showing Tsuyoshi that his son is at least listening to him. Inspecting his son's wounds closer, Tsuyoshi sees that they are healing, though very slowly. He sighs in exasperation at this, pulling one of the chairs over and setting it in front of his son. Nudging Takeshi's leg, Tsuyoshi schools his expression into a stern one when his son finally looks at him.

"This is absolutely ridiculous and  _pointless_ ," he starts.

Irritation creeps into Takeshi's face at the familiar statement. "So Hibari said."

"Then you should've realized by now that it is." Tsuyoshi nudges Takeshi at the leg with his foot again when the younger dragon turns his gaze back outside the window. He scoffs at the irritated noise that Takeshi makes. "It's been a while since you've thrown a tantrum as magnificently as this. All because of a dragon tamer, hmm?"

Takeshi's eyes flash dangerously at that, deep blue replacing the brown that the people of Namimori would be accustomed to. His usually smiling lips are set in a grim line, eyebrows furrowed together as he glares a hole in his father's amused face.

"He doesn't fit the category of dragon tamers that you've trained yourself to hate on principle, so I don't understand why you're trying so hard to fit him in it." Tsuyoshi crosses his arms over his chest, watching every bit of reaction that Takeshi does. "It's pointless forcing Tsuna—" Takeshi bristles at the name. "—in that category. Not when even  _you_  are not convinced that he is that type of person."

The ticking of the clock is the only sound that prevails in the silence that follows. Tsuyoshi patiently waits as his son stews on what he just said, a myriad of emotions reflected on his face. He has faith that Takeshi will be able to sort out his feelings, and on the unlikely chance that Takeshi  _fails_...well, a good smack at the head might do the trick.

"He kept it from me," Takeshi eventually says, eyes now glaring a hole at the floor rather than at his father's face.

"Which is the sensible thing to do," Tsuyoshi counters. "They may not be as widely hunted compared to us dragons, but I know that you are not ignorant at the fact that dragon tamers are also being scorned and targeted for what they are regardless of their beliefs and attitudes concerning dragons."

Takeshi falls silent again, letting ten minutes pass before he puts into words what really has been bothering him.

"Did he...were we even  _friends_?"

With another sigh, Tsuyoshi can only say, "Only he can tell you that."

* * *

"May I ask you something, young master Tsuna?"

They're back inside the house, cradling steaming mugs between their hands as they sit across each other inside Tsuna's room. After the sun had set and stars began dotting the darkened skies, Basil had steered him back to the house lest he freeze in the cold mountain air. Tsuna finds that he gets along with Basil as easily as he did with Yamamoto. Though he suspects that the other man is also a dragon, he doesn't ask, as is his usual protocol regarding new acquaintances. Basil doesn't seem to think that it's an important fact to bring up, so Tsuna won't, either.

"Of course," Tsuna answer him as he blows at his hot drink.

"You have the right to decline to answer, though I'm afraid that I really am curious as to why you took up dragon taming." Basil doesn't comment on how Tsuna's shoulders slump.

"I don't know." Tsuna rests his cup on his lap, thumb tracing the rim. "I mean, I  _do_  know. It's a...family thing, kind of like a tradition, so to speak." When Basil doesn't interrupt him, Tsuna continues. "My dad, he's a good— no, a  _great_  dragon tamer. Or so I heard from the people back at home."

Basil reviews his words in his head before saying, "Should I assume that he's your inspiration for being a dragon tamer?"

Tsuna smiles sardonically, a smile that Basil thinks doesn't fit him. "I suppose. After all, sons usually want to follow their father's footsteps, since a father is every little boy's own personal hero."

"You do not share the same sentiment, do you?" Tsuna goes rigid then, face blank and devoid of warmth.

"I...well, I can't really consider someone who I  _barely_  know as my own personal hero, right?" Tsuna glances up at Basil, desperately wishing for a subject change.

It must have shown on his face since Basil says, "Ah. ...how have you found dragon taming so far? It seems like it must be filled with excitement, is it not?"

Tsuna's laugh, while not possessing the sardonic quality that his earlier smile did, still manages to unsettle Basil by being painfully  _fake_. "It's... _fine_. Exciting, yes, though I've only watched other dragon tamers in action with dragons from a distance."

"A distance?"

"I'm bad,  _really_  bad at anything I do including dragon taming." Tsuna averts his eyes, feeling his cheeks burn at his admission of his incompetence. "I, uhm, haven't bonded with a dragon before. Not because I didn't try, of course. It's just  _hard_  for me to bond with a dragon that's trained to be a...a  _tool_. They can talk, too, you know? Even the ones that were raised in captivity. I just couldn't shackle one of them to me, and I think those dragons didn't want that, either. A bond can never really formed between a tamer and a dragon when there is not even a tiny sliver of acceptance between the two."

"There are dragon tamers who force dragons to submit to them though, are there not?" Basil says, taking in the details of the shadows that darken Tsuna's amber eyes.

"Yes. And they are despicable for being able to bend another sentient being to their whims without feeling remorse." The fire of the lamp between them flickers, casting shadows on Tsuna's face that made him feel of  _danger_.

Basil regards  _this_ Tsuna before him with quiet fascination, mulling over how such a meek and harmless dragon tamer molds so perfectly into the very picture of resolution and contained threat despite being polar opposites of one another. He also considers how Tsuna has caught Takeshi's interest long enough for him to be so wholly affected by the revelation of Tsuna being in the profession the public claims to be the dragons' mortal enemy, not to mention the sudden shifting of the mists right after the death of the other dragon tamer.

Not that he needed all these to impact his decision that he had already made so many years ago.

Basil suddenly breaks the silence with, "May I…implore of you utter the words you use to form a bond?"

It takes a moment for Tsuna to comprehend the question that is not quite a change in topic but unexpected in its nature, he scrambles to come up with a response. "I— yes, but mine is kind of... _bad_." Tsuna's gaze falls down to the floor at Basil's reproachful look, thumb tracing the rim of his cup again. "Each incantation is different, since the tamer is the one who composes it. It's a recent practice, about three decades old, and the elders haven't tried to stir up a big fuss about it since it makes it easier for us to use our own words instead of someone else's from centuries past. ...I wasn't born to be a poet, Basil," Tsuna adds, trying to dissuade him one last time.

"Then that is all the more reason why I need to hear yours. " When Tsuna still looks very reluctant, Basil shamelessly says, " _Please_?" with an expression that he knows is hard to resist.

Much to his delight, his antics prove to be effective as Tsuna huffs and murmurs something suspiciously close to 'outrageous'. Basil doesn't mind, though, not when it lets him get what he wants. Tsuna opens his mouth, then closes it due to embarrassment. He repeats this process a few more times before he finally says:

_upon the land i traverse_  
 _and the skies you fly_  
 _your loyalty i request  
_ _for my mortal life_

_be my wings  
_ _and, i, your will_

Euphoria floods Tsuna's entire being, startling him into snapping his gaze up. What he sees is…

 _Tsuna sees himself_   _staring back with wide eyes, confusion painted clearly across his face._

The fire flickers once, twice, and then it's Basil staring back at him with wide eyes instead of himself. Tsuna wonders if his mind just played a trick on him, that thought suddenly forgotten when he catches sight of the angry red lines that are peeking out from underneath Basil's left sleeve. Basil follows his gaze, blue eyes widening a fraction as he takes in the the red lines that stand out against his pale skin. Pulling his sleeve up, the entirety of the red lines across the inside of his wrist, forming a  _name_ — _his_ name, Tsuna realizes with horror— is revealed.

Neither of them moves for a beat, then Tsuna is scrambling toward Basil, nearly knocking over the lamp in his haste. He cradles Basil's wrist between his hands, gawking at it as he tries to comprehend how  _his name_  ended up being inked on it. A litany of apologies and promises to undo whatever he just did pours out from Tsuna's lips, eyes frantic when he looks up at Basil.

He stops when Basil shakes his head, a smile on his lips. "There is no need for that, young master Tsuna. It is more than an honor to be bound to you."

Outside the room, Tsuyoshi chuckles. "Seems all your worrying is unfounded,  _golden lion_." Inclining his head to the right, he adds, "Isn't that right, Takeshi?"

* * *

Back in Vongola, a tall, blond man flanked at the sides by his most trusted subordinates passes through the heavy gates of the city, his blank face belying the excitement that he's feeling. It has nearly been a year since he last set foot in Vongola, the shortest of his excursions so far. On his right arm are souvenirs that he got from the Cavallone city, a dress and a handful of jewelry for Nana and an outstandingly garish mug with painted figures of a father and son for Tsuna. Oregano, the woman currently on his right, commented back at the Cavallone that such a thing shouldn't even exist, let alone be given to anyone as a gift.

"Perhaps you should've taken something else for your son. I can fly back to Cavallone if you'd like," Oregano proposes once more as they pass by saluting soldiers. She sighs when her boss merely laughs boisterously.

"Nonsense! There's no need for you to waste your energy, Oregano, not when this here is already the most  _perfect_  gift!" Iemitsu Sawada plucks the mug from his bag, turning it this way and that way while he hums appreciatively. "My little Tsu-kun is very fond of colorful things. I'm confident that he will  _love_  this!"

Oregano grimaces for Tsuna's sake and opts to instead pull her companion, Turmeric, to the path leading to the Vongola mansion. They both know from experience that Iemitsu would rather risk the Vongola Nono's wrath than not go straight to his family upon arriving at Vongola. To indulge their boss, both she and Turmeric always go ahead of him to brief the Vongola Nono about how their journeys have went while Iemitsu pays his family a visit.

"We are giving you half an hour," she shouts to him over her shoulder. She just hopes that Iemitsu heard her or else there will be punches thrown later.

Merrily going the other way toward his house, Iemitsu whistles a happy tune to himself. He can't keep the large smile off his face as he imagines how Nana and Tsuna will react when they see him at their front step. Surprised, perhaps? Though he hopes that surprise is followed by a burst of happiness; the last time he came home, Tsuna had been reserved around him, not meeting his eyes and only talking when he was prompted to.

Iemitsu doesn't take long to reach his destination: a medium-sized house with two floors and a garden at the front that's well-tended to. He examines the beige paint peeling off the wooden walls and the broken part of the fence, taking a mental note to make arrangements for house renovations before he leaves. Skipping the last few steps toward the door, Iemitsu stands to his full height and clears his throat. He lets a few seconds tick by before knocking loudly to the door, excitement radiating off him. He wonders if it's Nana's smiling face or Tsuna's shocked one that'll greet him when the door opens.

What he's not prepared for is Nana's saddened face and wide, watery eyes, looking red as though she's been crying for days. For the first time since they were married, Nana Sawada doesn't jump into his arms with a shout of joy. Instead, she stays rooted at her spot, half of her body hidden behind the door as tears make her eyes shine. "Iemitsu, Tsu-kun is—"

Gifts forgotten, Iemitsu quickly rushes forward to hug Nana when her shoulders shook. "What about Tsuna? Did something happen to him, Nana?"

Nana doesn't speak for a while, her sobs echoing at the unusually silent house. Iemitsu can already feel dread choking him by each second that passes, the only thing he could do being letting Nana cry while he rubs soothing circles at her back. He's never seen her so broken until now.

"Nana?" He prompts again, his large hands gentle as he cradles her face between them. Iemitsu is normally not a patient man, but he will wait for as long as he's needed to when it comes to Nana.

"Tsu-kun, he—" Nana hiccups, obviously pushing her sobs down so that she can talk. "He hasn't...written in a  _week_. A-And—"

"Written?" Iemitsu repeats, confusion apparent in his frowning face. "What do you mean  _written_? Where is Tsuna?"

Tears slide down to Nana's cheeks, her lips trembling. "Nami...mori. He went there u-upon the Vongola Nono's request. His first m-mission. He hasn't written, and w-when I went to the market yesterday, they said the road to N-Namimori is blocked for i-investigation because..."

Iemitsu watches his wife inhale deeply, waits with baited breath as Nana tries to force the words out from her lips. When he hears them, it's like being doused with ice water.

"A dragon tamer is reported have died."

* * *

Timoteo places the paper that has just been delivered to him down on his desk, face set in a stern expression as the panicked yells of the guards outside grow louder. At his back Nougat and Ganauche are both standing tall and alert. In front of them are Oregano and Turmeric, who wait uneasily for the doors to burst open. It's not long before the mahogany doors nearly fly off their hinges, the wood banging against the walls. A livid Iemitsu is revealed, with disheveled guards behind him.

"Leave us," Timoteo orders them, which they readily obey. They depart, leaving the hallway deserted except for the seething blond man. "Welc—"

"You had  _no right_ ," Iemitsu cuts him off as he stalks inside the room. The tension in the room skyrockets.

Timoteo closes his mouth and regards the man before him silently. He carefully picks his words out, knowing that even the smallest slip will set off the rage of Vongola's famed  _golden lion_. "Tsunayoshi is not as fragile as you think he is, Iemitsu. Caging him within these walls isn't the right thing to do, nor is  _not_  helping him be better with the one thing that he thinks will make him a son that you'll be proud of. "

"That isn't something that you know!" Iemitsu bellows, his rage projected at the loudness of his voice. "He takes after Nana more than me—"

"Are you implying that Nana is  _weak_?" Timoteo challenges him.

"No!" is Iemitsu's immediate answer. "What I'm getting at is that he doesn't have our cursed blood in him. He is  _not_  made for dragon taming; it's too dangerous a thing for him to be dabbling with! And you just had to send him off on a  _mission_ with no one to aid him. Are you  _out of your mind_? Do you know how it feels to not know where your child is?"

"I do."

The reply effectively put a stop to Iemitsu tirade. This time a heavy rather than calculating silence settles over them. Iemitsu's mind slowly works through Timoteo's words and the sorrow that he exudes. He tries to convince himself that this is an act for Timoteo to calm him down, but his intuition screams otherwise.

In the end, he manages to hiss out, "Tsuna hasn't written in a week, and there's a dead dragon tamer in Namimori." Anger is still in his voice, though it's subdued and laced by exhaustion. After spending an hour comforting his wife, he had asked their neighbor Kurokawa to watch over Nana before rushing into Timoteo's office.

Timoteo neither confirms nor denies it. He only says, "Have faith in your son. He's got strength that belies his appearance."

* * *

Basil slides the door shut once he has managed to calm Tsuna down. He can't help but smile at the image of Tsuna repeatedly asking him if he's sure that he doesn't want for the bond to be reversed. At the same time, Tsuna's repeated attempts to convince Basil to let him undo the bond unsettles him, since it is telling of what Tsuna thinks of himself.

" _You are_ not  _unworthy of me, young master Tsuna._ " He remembers Tsuna's breath hitching at those words, like he couldn't believe that someone thought he's even worthy of  _anything_ , much less the bond of a dragon.

A movement by the shadows pulls Basil from his thoughts, his light blue eyes meeting navy ones. He offers a wry smile to the new arrival, walking closer so that he can whisper his words. "You've taken far too long to return, young master Takeshi."

Takeshi glares at him, blood boiling with annoyance at Basil's taunt. "Never knew you were one to use deceit."

Basil shrugs, walking past Takeshi toward his room. "I don't dawdle when it comes to the things that I want."

Back in his room, Tsuna is oblivious to what's happening just outside the hallway. Despite having been given about a hundred assurances that Basil definitely  _doesn't_  want for their bond to be broken, Tsuna still can't believe that he'd managed to bond a dragon to him. No matter that it was unintentional, Tsuna can't take the image of his name inked in red on Basil's wrist off his mind. He also feels...less lonely, which is something foreign to him.

His mind keeps on looping through these thoughts, making him toss and turn restlessly. Finally, when he has accepted that sleep is never going to come to him tonight, Tsuna slips on his jacket and boots. Being as silent as possible, he ventures outside, shivering at the first touch of the cold night air against his skin. He just stands there by the door for a minute, breathing in the fresh air to clear his mind. It works momentarily before he's once again assaulted by memories of his bond with Basil now mixed with how Yamamoto is  _still angry_  at him.

_What will he think when he finds out about my bond with Basil?_

Tsuna's mind conjures up a myriad of scenarios, most of them with Yamamoto exclaiming bitterly that he's no better than the dragon tamer from days before. Tsuna suddenly feels even colder at the thought of Yamamoto believing that he only befriended him because of what he is—a dragon—and not because of  _who_ he is as an individual.

In an attempt to distract himself, Tsuna starts walking to the only other place that he can go to. The bright moon above is as beautiful as the sunset that Basil showed him earlier, urging Tsuna to climb the stairs faster. When he does reach the top, he quickly forgets the moon though, eyes immediately falling to the lone form by the edge of the cliff.

Yamamoto is looking at him silently, as though he has been waiting for Tsuna the whole time. His eyes have gone back to a brown color, but under the moonlight, they don't feel warm like they did when Tsuna and he hung out around Namimori. Tsuna tries his hardest not to be  _too_  disappointed, a battle that was lost from the start. He tries to gauge the feelings in the expression Yamamoto's regards him with, his task proving to be hard because of the distance between them. Tsuna doesn't dare to take a step closer, though, not wanting to upset Yamamoto more than he already did.

Shifting his weight awkwardly from foot to foot, Tsuna says, "Hi." It sounds painfully weak and uncertain to his ears, which is exactly how he feels at this moment. When Yamamoto doesn't reply, Tsuna lets his gaze fall to the ground.

If it were anyone else Tsuna knows he would give up know, but Yamamoto was - is his first real friend and he  _can't_ leave things unresolved between them like this, so he takes a deep breath and recalls the things that he told Tsuyoshi. Lifting his gaze, he once more stares straight into Yamamoto's eyes and says., "I...I know that you think that I became friends with you because of...you being a dragon. That is  _not_  the case, and I hope you believe me. It's true that I am on a mission to find and bring back a rain dragon to Vongola, but I never even  _knew_ you were one until I was kidnapped and used to bait you."

Tsuna cringes at how his words sound like a really pathetic excuse, which is obviously what Yamamoto thinks as well, since he scoffs before saying, "Couldn't you have thought of something more believable instead of that flimsy excuse?"

Tsuna's sight blurs with barely held-back tears at Yamamoto's dismissive and condescending tone. It's a side of Yamamoto's he hasn't seen since he arrived in Namimori, and now Tsuna desperately wishes he could turn back time, to go back to when he and Yamamoto were at each other's side rather than the standoff they are locked in now. He trembles in a way that has nothing to do with the cold, and he laughs at how pathetic he must look like to Yamamoto right now.

"No," he forces to say despite the lump in his throat. "No, I couldn't. Think of a better excuse, that is. Because...because I  _am_ pathetic. I'm a pathetic excuse for a dragon tamer—"

"Didn't seem like it when you formed that bond with Basil." Yamamoto's voice is now laced with contempt, his anger slowly becoming more visible in his expression. "You're telling me now that you didn't befriend me because I'm a dragon because you've already gotten what you needed, right?"

Tsuna furiously shakes his head from side to side, misery rendering him unable to speak when the worst scenario that his mind came up with is playing right in front of his eyes. "That's  _not_  true!" It hurt his throat to shout so loudly, but Tsuna could care less, not when his too fragile first friendship with the rain dragon is close to shattering.

Yamamoto doesn't seem the least bit convinced, though. He turns to face Tsuna fully before asking, "Was our friendship even real?"

"Of course!" Tsuna wants to run up to Yamamoto and  _shake_ him, to make him realize that their friendship is  _genuine_. "I-I really like you, Yamamoto! As a person, as a  _friend_ , and I'm really,  _really_  thankful to have met you. You...the friendship that you extended to me, it's...like a  _gift_  and just... _thank you_." Tsuna's falters, but he soldiers on to say, "Thank you for letting me be your friend. Even if...it was just b-briefly. I enjoyed it. I enjoyed our time together."

Yamamoto takes all of this in with a flat expression, not giving Tsuna a clue as to what's going on in his head. He's regarding him with less anger in his eyes now though; making room for contemplation tinged with uncertainty. Despite Tsuna's words and the sincerity behind them, Yamamoto still feels doubt lurking at his mind. Only when he resolves to distrust Tsuna his father's words repeat themselves inside his head—  _"It's pointless forcing Tsuna in that category. Not when even_ you _are_ not _convinced that he is that type of person."_  —and he can't help wondering whether he's still trying to fool himself into believing that Tsuna isn't honest, that he's just like the other dragon tamers out there that aim to harm his kind. After all, he's taught himself early on that words alone can never be trusted.

Looking up at the dark skies illuminated by the moon, Yamamoto closes his eyes and asks,  _What's the one thing that humans aren't so willing to let go of?_

Tsuna watches with dread when Yamamoto takes on step backward, a sense of déjà vu spurring him into action. He's running before he knows it, cursing his short stature when Yamamoto takes another step backward, and another, and another—

 _Nana shouts at him, pleading, as she tries to reach him before he takes the last step backward. "Tsu-kun! No, no, please,_ please! _Listen to mama,_ please _."_

Yamamoto's body tips backwards just as Tsuna's fingertips graze his shirt and then he's falling, Tsuna's scream falling on deaf ears. Anything else aside from the need to save Yamamoto escapes Tsuna, the fear of losing his  _friend_  trumping over all of his fears as he jumps after Yamamoto. He tucks his arms to his sides to gain more speed, eyes trained on Yamamoto's falling body.

"Yamamoto!" he tries to scream, most of his voice lost against the force wind. He shouts a second time, flailing in an attempt to get closer to Yamamoto. He succeeds somewhat and is able to see Yamamoto watching him calmly, like they're not currently falling down into their death.

"I'm a dragon!" Yamamoto shouts, and Tsuna is confused for a moment before he realizes what he meant.

"T-Then shift already and save yourself!" It's getting harder and harder to breathe, and Tsuna doesn't even know if Yamamoto can hear him.

Yamamoto watches Tsuna's rapid descent above him, waiting for him to scream something selfish or to force a bond with him so that he can order Yamamoto to save him. But none of those things happen, Tsuna only continues screaming for Yamamoto to save  _himself_  without any mention for his own wellbeing. Yamamoto recalls how Tsuna looked so lonely and afraid when he first saw him despite the countless people that were around him and how evasive he was whenever Yamamoto asked about his family or life back in Vongola. He recalls how happy Tsuna appeared whenever Yamamoto sidled up next to him at the streets of Namimori, and how he sometimes had this expression of  _disbelief_  that someone was actually willing to spend their time with him.

Yamamoto also recalls when he felt the exact same way and  _when_ that _changed_.

Tsuna covers his eyes with his arms when the wind makes it unbearable to keep them open. He curses himself for leaving his goggles back at his room. He has no clue if Yamamoto has already shifted and saved himself, but on the off-chance that he hasn't, Tsuna readies himself to shout one last time and removes his arm from his eyes—

 _Tsuna sees the bluest night for the first time in his life_.

And then his body crashes down on solid mass, knocking the air out of him. Endless blue fills his vision, and when he looks up, he sees brilliant blues scales stretched over the long, lithe body of the dragon looking back at him.

"Hopefully my belly's soft enough. If I had caught you on my back, you would've gotten a few broken bones."

* * *

_The words that a dragon tamer utters to bond with a dragon are said to be mandatory; without saying them, a bond will never happen, even if the tamer is forcing the bond against the dragon. But if one is to brave the cobwebs and dust of ancient libraries, they will find that there are those who can bond with dragons without the help of those words._

* * *

The mist shifts around the trees below, a bone-chilling laughter filling the crevices of the forest near Namimori.

"How interesting."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: The pacing doesn't really match what I originally planned, but I do have plans to expand on the things that I've mostly glossed over in this chapter (ex. Basil, Timoteo's intentions)
> 
> Thanks for reading. Concrit would be much appreciated!


	3. Rhythm of the Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the late update; things suddenly sprung up on me two weeks ago and it wasn't until last Friday that I really got to sit down and outline the chapter. Once again, thank you to my Onee-sama for beta'ing this! Happy birthday to you, too! C:

 

Tsuna utters his thanks when Yamamoto deposits him gently at the peak of a different mountain, this one situated considerably lower than the others enough that he doesn't get vertigo by simply looking at the surroundings. There's not much flat surface to move around on, especially not when there's a dragon taking up most of the space available. Tsuna doesn't mind, though, too mesmerized by the blue dragon before him to take notice of anything else. He recalls the words of the numerous tomes that he had read while playing...hide-and-seek with the others. Lavish descriptions of how blue the scales of rain dragons were that sapphires pale in comparison and the lean yet sinewy body underneath those scales. Whatever the books could not tell him, Tsuna takes in with his own eyes now.

He remembers reading the chapter about the rain dragons' wings, about their large size and how they are connected from the dragon's shoulders to a point near the dragon's thighs, the width of them giving the dragon greater surface for its wings. What the books failed to include is the shimmery sheen they give off, creating an illusion of the leathery wings being translucent under the moonlight. They appear almost soft to the touch, and Tsuna's hand itches at the  _want_  to ghost his fingers over them. He stomps down on it, though, forcing away the desire and shifting his attention to the body of Yamamoto's dragon form. It's much longer than he had imagined, reminiscent of a lizard's body. His eyes are then drawn next to the claws that are half-embedded in the dirt, their clear white color a stark contrast to the deep blue of the scales.

For some reason, his gaze snaps up from the dragon's—  _Yamamoto's_ — claws up to his electric blue eyes, not quite surprised when he is being studied as intently as he has been scrutinizing the dragon. Yamamoto's sclerae are black instead of white, making his eyes stand out. Yamamoto hasn't said anything after he caught him earlier, and it's frankly beginning to unsettle Tsuna for the dragon to keep watching him silently like this.

"Um," Tsuna starts, frustration bubbling up inside him when the words keep eluding him. Despite his dilemma, he doesn't break eye contact with Yamamoto. In this form, it's harder to gauge Yamamoto's mood, and Tsuna finds that his only way to do so is through the dragon's eyes.

One of Yamamoto's wings twitches, jolting Tsuna to hastily express his thanks automatically. He gets no answer until he hears the sound of rippling scales that accompanies Yamamoto's movement. Yamamoto unfurls on of his wings, laying it horizontally midair next to Tsuna and giving the brunette a clearer view of it. As expected, Tsuna is immediately captivated by the extended appendage. He raises his hand from his side unconsciously, but before he can place it on top of Yamamoto's wing, he catches himself and stops. He guiltily glances up and retracts his hand with a mumbled apology.

"Don't be," is Yamamoto's reply. His gravelly voice is foreign yet simultaneously soothing to Tsuna's ears. His wing remains extended, which Tsuna interprets as Yamamoto's acceptance of his earlier intent.

"Thank you," Tsuna says once more. Both of them know that it's not only for Yamamoto allowing him to touch his wing, but neither of them speak more.

* * *

"I take it that you've sorted things out with Tsuna?"

Takeshi shrugs and runs his hands over his face to chase the sleep away. He and Tsuna returned to the house near the break of dawn, the dragon tamer sliding off his back with all the grace of a newborn fawn while he continued to express his neverending gratitude. Takeshi merely snorted at him in reply, musing about how it took a growl from the dragon to get him to climb up on his back in the first place, before nudging Tsuna inside the house, telling him that he'll follow soon. Tsuna regarded him with a weird expression then, but Takeshi didn't have the chance to decipher it before Tsuna nodded and turned his back on him.

"Good," Tsuyoshi says. Takeshi looks up at him blearily. "Now get up and help me with preparing lunch. Tsuna's probably exhausted from all the bonds that he has formed in less than twenty-four hours."

Takeshi's sleepiness is gone instantly, confusion and displeasure replacing it. "What?" he asks eloquently. As far as he knows, only Basil is bonded with Tsuna and there are no other dragons near the area that he could have bonded with, barring Tsuyoshi himself. It is highly unlikely for Tsuyoshi to have formed a bond with Tsuna, though, so why did his father say "bonds"?

Unless—

His father's sardonic grin that is more of a grimace does nothing to dispel the growing sense of trepidation in him. "Might wanna check your back. Don't take too long, though, since I still need someone to help me in the kitchen."

Tsuyoshi leaves the room without waiting for Takeshi's reply, bypassing the kitchen and swiftly walking to the guest rooms. Not even bothering to knock, Tsuyoshi slides the door open, staring down at a disoriented Tsuna. He doesn't need to look twice to say that the kid is under the weather, but Tsuyoshi can't spare any sympathy for that at the moment.

"I thought you weren't interested with taking a dragon from Namimori. Which, correct me if I'm wrong, is rather similar to you saying that you will  _not_ be making a bond with any dragon." Tsuyoshi thinks he should have used fewer words, since Tsuna scrunches his face up in what could only be due to not understanding what he was just told.

"That's...right?" Tsuna slowly replies. Then memories of being bonded with Basil rises up from the back of his mind, leading to Tsuna concluding that that's what Tsuyoshi is referring to. "I didn't mean to bond with Basil when I said the words. It just...happened." He hopes that Tsuyoshi won't be too angry about it; Tsuna really didn't know what was going on until the bond was already formed!

"I told Basil that I'll break it. The bond. If he wants to." His eyelids start to feel heavier by each second that passed, but Tsuna fights off the impending darkness as he continues, "He said no, but I think...I will. Do it. Break the bond." Inhaling shakily, Tsuna leans to the side and tries to keep himself upright before resigning and giving in to his body's demand of laying back down on the futon.

"Vongola is not a safe place." Tsuyoshi nods at that, though he knows that Tsuna isn't talking to him anymore. Glazed hazel eyes stare up at the ceiling, unseeing, their owner's face flushed red. "Especially when you're associated with the likes of  _me_. It's just not safe."

It doesn't take long for Tsuna to drift off after that, showing signs of developing a fever. his breathing is fast and shallow and chills begin to wrack his body. Quickly procuring a towel and a basin of water from the bathroom, Tsuyoshi dips the white cloth on the cool water and squeezes the excess out, placing the damp cloth on Tsuna's forehead. He stays by Tsuna's side for a few minutes, Tsuna's words reminding him of nights from the past when a blond drunkard would talk of his family back home.

Remembering that he has a meal to cook, the man silently leaves the room and walks back toward the kitchen. He's satisfied for now that the bond between Tsuna and Takeshi isn't a forced one, especially if the kid seems to think that it's Basil that Tsuyoshi's referring to. Not only that, but if it is truly a forced bond, Takeshi should have noticed before Tsuyoshi had pointed it out.

Tsuyoshi scratches the back of his neck when he sees Basil already sitting by the dining table, a mug of hot coffee in between his hands. Basil doesn't acknowledge his presence immediately, a testament to how deep in thought he is, and Tsuyoshi leaves him be while he prepares the ingredients that he'll be using.

"Have they worked out what's been troubling them?" Basil asks a good ten minutes after Tsuyoshi has entered the kitchen. Tsuyoshi simply nods in assent, knowing that Basil is watching him. "That is...well. Now young master Tsuna won't be as shrouded by despair as he was before."

"True," Tsuyoshi curtly replies. "What he will be now is to be bedridden  _again_." Seeing the alarm that flashes through Basil's face, Tsuyoshi quickly adds, "Because forming a bond with two dragons with barely any time to replenish his energy in between will most likely lead to him feeling sluggish for the next two days or so. Not to mention that he's a complete amateur when it comes to this thing, what with  _you_ as his  _first_  bonded dragon."

Basil's usual calm façade breaks to give way to a troubled one. He quickly hides it when he hears footsteps coming closer to the kitchen, not wanting to risk Tsuna's worry if it is him. Unsurprisingly however, it is a disgruntled Takeshi, already poised to ask his father a question. His mouth snaps shut when he sees Basil, the two start communicating wordlessly via the glares that they're directing at each other.

Meanwhile, Tsuyoshi starts feeling the telltale signs of a migraine coming on. The two young dragons before him have never gotten into any arguments before, but they haven't been close either. They're  _good_  acquaintances, for the most part, so seeing them look at each other with hostility fills Tsuyoshi with awe but mostly annoyance toward a certain dragon tamer. Though both are ready to give their smiles to people, his son and Basil are painfully detached from most of the world, only caring if something or someone directly concerns them. To be able to affect them despite their usual apathy is  _something_.

In an attempt to dispel the tension in the room, Tsuyoshi clears his throat. He's glad that that manages to catch their attention, if only barely. "Stop it with your childish act," he chides them, enjoying how both bristle at being called childish yet being unable to refute it because it is the  _truth._  "I doubt the kid will find it cute that the two of you are going after each other's necks in an attempt to monopolize him."

Takeshi hisses. "You're talking nonsense."

"Am I?" Tsuyoshi raises an eyebrow at the aggravated noise that his son makes. After checking if the soup that he has prepared earlier is done, Tsuyoshi puts a bowl and a glass of water on a tray. "What I'm really trying to say is that you two shouldn't let Tsuna see  _or_  feel that you're not in good terms with each other. I doubt that he knows or remembers that he's bonded to you yet, Takeshi, seeing how dazed he was earlier, but it wouldn't surprise me if he figures your sudden hostility with each other is linked to his bond with Basil."

At the corner of his eyes, Takeshi sees Basil shift his focus back to him. There's a contemplative quality to it, one that Takeshi knows he's mirroring when he turns to face Basil once more. To be honest, he holds no ill will toward the other rain dragon, and he knows that the other feels the same way toward him, too. His instincts to  _challenge_  Basil flares up when he sees him, though, and he doesn't need to be a genius to connect it to their bond with Tsuna.

Between the two of them, Basil is the one who speaks first. "For young master Tsuna's sake," he starts, though apparently that's all he needs to say as Takeshi nods his head in agreement.

* * *

Tsuna dreams of standing in the middle of nowhere, with only dead husks and white bones covered with thin layers of frost interrupting the dark expanse of land that's around him. He ought to be freezing, yet Tsuna's burning up on the inside. His clothing is sticking to his skin with sweat and his body feels like it's on fire. He doesn't lay down on the ground despite his body's exhaustion; instead, he takes a step forward, then another, until he's walking slowly with no direction in mind. He just knows that he needs to keep walking, and he does for god-knows-how-long. Tsuna stopped counting his footsteps after he got to six.

The silence rings loudly in his ears until another sound breaks it. Tsuna lifts his head up, squinting when light shines through a door-shaped hole. It's peculiar, since there are no walls to where the hole is. Tsuna dismisses it as he walks closer, the sound growing louder and more recognizable.  _It'slaughter_  is Tsuna's first thought, replaced with  _it's a_ girl's  _laughter_  when he walks through the door-shaped hole. He shields his eyes with his arm due to the light's intensity. That's when he hears a voice say, "It seems we have a guest."

* * *

Tsuna wakes with a start, not really registering the cloth that slides off his forehead as he tries to calm his wildly beating heart. Awareness comes back to him in pieces, starting from the conflicting feeling of being hot and cold simultaneously. He whimpers when he tries to swallow, only for his throat's inner walls to scratch at each other like sandpaper. He hears someone talking at his side, not recognizing who it is at first until Tsuyoshi gruffly orders him to open his mouth. Tsuna obeys without question, immensely grateful to his host when water passes through his lips and down to his throat.

The man continues talking through this, but Tsuna is only able to make out the words "bonds" and "silly" before he slips back to unconsciousness.

* * *

He goes back to dreaming again. This time he is under a tree with purple leaves. The sound of rustling leaves resounds around him, though Tsuna can't feel the wind on his skin. Still, everything appears so real, the scenery and sounds too vivid for a dream. Someone sits next to him just when he thinks of standing up, prompting him to look at his side.

"Hello," the girl greets him, purple eyes wide and captivating as she stares up at Tsuna expectantly.

"H-Hi," Tsuna stammers out.

The girl continues to stare at him, as though expecting more than just a measly greeting from Tsuna. Tsuna grows self-conscious under her stare, wishing that he had more experience when it comes to talking to females. Or people in general. Then the girl giggles, startling Tsuna.

"He's right. You're an interesting one," she says ambiguously. Even so, Tsuna can't seem to find it in him to be suspicious of her. Despite her weird hairstyle— it's reminiscent of a pineapple's top, if Tsuna can be honest— she has kind eyes, much like his mother's.

"Oh! Please forgive me for my lack of manners!" The girl holds her hand out, saying, "My name is Chrome. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Tsuna hastily removes his glove then, grasping Chrome's hand gently. "Tsunayoshi...you can call me Tsuna. I'm honored to be your acquaintance, Chrome."

Chrome giggles again. "You're so formal, Tsuna. It makes you more endearing than you already are." Giggling again at Tsuna's blush, Chrome shifts so that she's facing Tsuna more. "Will you keep me company? Having a world made to my liking has been very exciting, but it's been a while since I've talked to someone new."

Tsuna agrees despite Chrome's strange words. He supposes it's because this is taking place in a dream, his mind undoubtedly the one conjuring up the most bizarre dialogues that he's hearing. Still, he can't shake off the feeling that Chrome is somewhat familiar to him. That and the fact that  _something_  is with them.

* * *

"None of you are allowed inside his room."

Tsuyoshi already expected the two to protest but that doesn't mean that he's free from getting headaches because of it. His only reprieve is that both Takeshi and Basil are not the type to shout first when their tempers flare; what they do instead is fix the source of their anger with a frosty glare which, thankfully, Tsuyoshi is rather immune to.

"I must take care of him," Basil tells him with a voice that brooks no argument. Takeshi briefly directs his glare at him before returning it at his father.

"Of course you must," Tsuyoshi replies. "But  _you_ should know how this thing works, Basil. Bonding with a dragon suddenly is bound to drain the tamer a  _huge_  portion of his energy. At the same time, a link between the tamer and the dragon opens, allowing for an exchange of energies between the two to happen. Tsuna didn't feel the effects of your sudden bond with him at first, since I know you have quite a bit of knowledge when it comes to regulating your energy. On the other hand…"

Takeshi's frown grows deeper upon catching his father's meaning, gaze falling down to his plate.

"It's painfully obvious that he has no practical training when it comes to regulating the energies inside him prior to coming here. Now, he has to acclimate with not only one but  _two_ new energies inside of him without having a chance to get used to one at first," Tsuyoshi points out. "Your presence near him would do nothing but worsen his condition, especially you, Takeshi, since you don't know how to control the amount of your energy that's passing through your bond with Tsuna."

"You've never mentioned of anything like this before," Takeshi replies back through gritted teeth.

"I  _have_ mentioned of this before," Tsuyoshi says, slightly annoyed. "I just didn't get into the details of what will happen to you and your tamer- hypothetically- since I  _never_ thought you'd be bonded with someone."

Tsuyoshi shakes his head when his son proceeds to brood. Before Takeshi can stalk off though, Tsuyoshi asks, "By the way, did he do anything while he's in Namimori?"

"He wandered around the streets, looking for something." Takeshi trails off, searching his mind for what else Tsuna did during his stay in Namimori. "He went to the post office every three days or so with a letter. They were for his mother."

Tsuyoshi hums when Basil stills. "It's been nearly a week since his last letter, then. His mother must be sick with worry by now. Not to mention that news of the dead dragon tamer at the outskirts of Namimori has already spread like wildfire."

"I will write to her," Basil offers, earning him a surprised glance from Takeshi and a knowing look from Tsuyoshi. He gives no further explanation to his offer other than, "I am posting a letter of my own, too, so I don't mind taking up this task for young master Tsuna's sake."

Tsuyoshi nods and says, "Very well." He knows his son is annoyed at the fact that he easily entrusted such a task to Basil even if Takeshi doesn't voice any protests that he may have regarding the matter.

Later, when they've all wandered out of the kitchen, Tsuyoshi finds himself standing by the bookshelf, mindlessly perusing its contents. Behind him, Basil is hunched over while he writes the letter to Tsuna's mother. Neither of them speaks for a long while even though they both are aware of what the forthcoming conversation will entail.

"You know him but he does not know you," Tsuyoshi opens up the conversation, getting straight to the point.

" _Does not remember_  is more accurate," Basil replies without pausing from his writing. Silence settles over them again, though the conversation is far from over.

"Tsuna is  _his_  son." At Basil's nod, Tsuyoshi sighs. "He'll be angry, you know, and that drunk is insufferable when he's angry." When Basil doesn't say anything, Tsuyoshi returns the book that he isn't reading to the shelf and faces him fully. "That child...you're aware what your bond with him entails, right?"

"I am." Basil finishes signing his name at the bottom of the paper, hand hovering over it once that's done. "But like this, I can be near him and I'll be able to protect him."

"Which would not be necessary in the first place if he hadn't got himself bonded to a dragon," Tsuyoshi reasons back. "Once he returns to Vongola and word of how he's made a bond spreads, then what Iemitsu has worked so hard for all these years will be for naught."

Tsuyoshi patiently waits for his companion's reply, gaze straying at the darkening skies outside the window.

"I will be there by his side when that happens," Basil tells him, looking up at Tsuyoshi with a challenge in his eyes.

"Isn't that selfish?" Tsuyoshi's aware that he hit a sensitive subject when Basil flinches. "I doubt that Iemitsu hasn't told you how his  _family's_ politics work, Basil, given the fact that he has always left you here in Namimori with us whenever he comes home to Vongola. Because you're an  _unbonded_  dragon that is very much willing to be bonded to his son. Well, previously unbonded dragon anyway."

Memories of being dragged away from a quaint, little house and the stern face of Iemitsu Sawada flashes through Basil's eyes. He also remembers of a little boy with brown hair that's ridiculously untameable and the tendrils of warmth that seeped in him when the little boy accepted him with no malice in his heart. The first time that Iemitsu told him the full reason why he should  _never_ be bonded to Tsuna left Basil feeling cold all over, not for himself but for the unknowing boy living back in Vongola. It isn't because Tsuna's lack of heart when it comes to being a good tamer, nor is the fault Basil's for what he thought was his incompetency as a dragon.

The reason why they must stay separated lies within the walls of Vongola, closer to Tsuna than any enemies can ever be. Iemitsu smiled grimly when he saw Basil's rage upon knowing fully who the real danger was to Tsuna.

"Even though you knew of that, you still made a bond with Tsuna. That's really selfish, even for you who has waited nearly two decades," Tsuyoshi continues, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back against the wall. "Now that you've opened up this dangerous path for him, are you willing to put his and your life on the line just because of memories long past?"

Basil smiles for the first time since their conversation started, surprising Tsuyoshi a bit. "That and the chance to make more memories with him." Basil starts folding his letter, hands steady and gentle. "Though I suppose every memory that we will make from now on shall be preceded with a glaring match between young master Takeshi and I."

"Eh, I'm sure what you guys are currently feeling will pass. It's always been told that the first few days of a newly-made bond kinda mess both the tamer and the dragon up."

Basil laughs unabashedly. "That's a very sound reasoning, though I'm sure we can't put all the blame on the bond."

* * *

Pacing back and forth in front of the fireplace, Iemitsu broods over being ordered to stay inside of Vongola until further notice. In any other situation, Iemitsu would be over the moon about this, since it means being able to spend more time with his family. Iemitsu grits his teeth when his thoughts stray back to his son, worry and anger mingling furiously inside him.

Across the room, Oregano is following her restless master's pacing. She and Turmeric have come to an agreement to not let their rather reckless tamer out of their sights, especially not now that the Nono has ordered for all of them to stay put in Vongola when it is very much apparent how much Iemitsu wants to go out to search for his child. The dragon has no doubt that someone is posted outside of the Sawada residence to make sure.

Inside the kitchen, Nana is making dinner for all of them with the help of Turmeric. Her husband's sun dragon has said so little ever since they started making dinner, but Nana doesn't mind. The companionable silence between them serves as a good breather for the distressed woman. The knowledge of someone's being there without fussing over her to the point of suffocation calms her. Iemitsu means well when he repeatedly asked if she was coping up earlier, she knows, but there is a limit to how often she can be same question over and over again in the span of one hour before snapping.

"Turmeric, will you—"

Nana stops when she takes in Turmeric's rigid form, turned facing the living room. She hasn't spent much time with them, given their short visits and long absences, so Nana isn't an expert at reading her husband's dragons. What she is an expert of is reading her husband, and she's fortunate that, through his bond with his dragons, the dragons sometimes show some of the cues that Nana would pick up on her husband's mood.

Currently, she sees that Turmeric is shocked and  _livid_ — it is always Iemitsu's anger, no matter its intensity, that the dragons pick up the strongest— and she receives her confirmation when Iemitsu storms out of the house, Oregano hot on his heel.

Turmeric lowers the knife and carrot that he's holding, the tense lines of his shoulders sagging when he exhales. He glances to the side, already expecting Nana's questioning look.

"If Tsuna is still in Namimori…there is a high possibility that he might meet Basil there," Turmeric murmurs.

* * *

By the faint traces of orange in the dark blue skies, Tsuna judges it to be dawn already. He doesn't remember waking up nor the dream that he had, though what he does remember is the reason why he's awake in the first place. Weakly pushing himself up, he thanks any god that's listening to him for the glass of water beside his futon.

" _I need to stop waking up like this,_ " Tsuna thinks as he slowly drinks the contents of the glass, his dry throat being relieved with each gulp that he takes. Once he's emptied the glass, Tsuna sighs and tries to recall what happened the day before. He also searches his mind for what his dream was about, and he pouts a little when he draws a blank for both.

Then there's a knock by the door, chasing away any thoughts of recollecting any memories when Tsuna looks up and sees Yamamoto standing by the doorway. He stays by the door, which Tsuna interprets as Yamamoto still being wary of their fragile friendship.

"How are you feeling?" Yamamoto asks. It takes a moment for Tsuna to process the words, mind still sluggish from his fever. He's also wondering why Yamamoto is staring at him expectantly, like he's asked Tsuna another question not related to his well-being and now he's waiting for Tsuna's answer.

"I'm fine. Better. I think." Tsuna presses his palm on his forehead, averting his gaze from Yamamoto's when he recalls how they got back to the house. "Thanks, by the way, for, uhm, letting me ride on your back…"

Yamamoto doesn't say anything, prompting Tsuna to glance up. The dragon's expression hasn't changed; if anything, there's a spark of interest in his eyes now, as if encouraging Tsuna to speak further of the matter.

Fidgeting, Tsuna continues, "I don't...really like the idea of riding on a dragon's back. Not because it's unpleasant! But more because of...what it implied. Back home. But uhm, anyway...it was a really great experience, and thank you for that. For allowing me to ride on your back that is, even though I didn't get to see much because I...had my eyes closed."

Tsuna starts when Yamamoto makes a noise that's suspiciously displeased. "You didn't see my back, then?" is Yamamoto's unexpected question, and Tsuna feels like he's missing something really big in here.

"Y-Yes? I don't remember much from that night, aside from when we were at the top of a mountain. And when I was screaming at you while we were falling, though that part's a bit...blurry? Maybe due to the adrenaline."

They stay silent after that, watching each other and wondering what's going on through the other's mind until Yamamoto straightens up and asks, "Do you want me to get you anything?"

Tsuna is now positive that Yamamoto is holding something back from him, but decides not to pursue it. Instead, he tells Yamamoto that another glass of water would be much appreciated and falls back on his futon once he's alone in the room again. He goes back to trying to recall anything that he may have missed on the night that he was saved by Yamamoto. His frustration builds up when all his mind conjures is a mess of blues and purples.

By the time Yamamoto returns to the room, Tsuna is asleep again.

* * *

Chrome is waiting for him when he opens his eyes, excitedly running up to him and clasping his hands. "We've been waiting for you!" she exclaims, half-dragging Tsuna behind her. Tsuna blinks at her, wondering who else was with her while he was gone.

"Mukuro!" Right after Chrome's excited shout, their pace becomes faster, Tsuna stumbling a little at the sudden change. He briefly congratulates himself for not embarrassing himself by falling face-first on the floor. They stop running not long after, and Tsuna gapes at the creature standing in front of them.

Chrome's smile is wide when she introduces Tsuna. "Mukuro, this is Tsuna! He's been keeping me company while you were away!"

Tsuna doesn't protest when Chrome shoves him in front of her, mind too preoccupied with processing the huge owl currently staring back at him. It's all white, aside from the tips of its feathers and talons that are black and its heterochromatic eyes. Blue and red, a peculiar combination, Tsuna thinks. The cravat that's around its neck is a deep olive green, bringing out its red eye even more. As though those aren't enough, Tsuna sees thick, gray chains wrapped around the owl's wings tightly, a few feathers sticking out in between the holes of the metal links. A flightless bird, forever chained to the ground.

The owl continues staring back at him, still as a statue. Tsuna starts feeling uncomfortable under the owl's unwavering gaze, but he can't bring himself to look away from it.

At the back of his mind, Tsuna remembers lessons from his childhood, something about colors.

" _Tsu-kun, when you mix red and blue together, you get another color. Do you know what that is?"_

* * *

"You've planned this, all of it!"

Timoteo holds back a sigh as he meets Iemitsu's glare with his own. He has a lot of patience for the man, but Iemitsu is straying dangerously close to the limit of Vongola Nono's patience. It's apparent that Iemitsu knows this, as well as his blatant disregard of it as he inhales sharply.

"It's not a coincidence that you've sent Tsuna to Namimori a few days before my arrival," Iemitsu hisses seethingly, his anger further fueled at the lack of denial from Timoteo. "You know that  _Basil_  will be left there."

"Indeed." Timoteo raises a hand to halt Nougat from reacting at Iemitsu slamming his hands on Timoteo's table. "But he's not the only dragon that is in Namimori currently, isn't he?" Timoteo can practically hear Iemitsu's teeth gnashing. "There's no need to play dumb, Iemitsu. You swore to relay any valuable information to Vongola, and I believe the Yamamotos fall under that category."

"Don't refer to them in that  _way_!" Iemitsu lashes out, eyes flashing dangerously. "They're not just another piece for you to include in your sordid plots, just like what you've already decided my son will be!"

Timoteo stands up then, posture rigid as he calmly enunciates, "I have to do what I  _must_  to keep this city afloat, and we need more people.  _You_  should know that!"

Iemitsu lets out a humorless chuckle at that. "This  _city_? Timoteo, you Vongolas only care for your own asses. The safety of this city is just a byproduct of your relentless actions to keep yourselves on top of the food chain."

"You say that as though you're not part of my family," Timoteo says through gritted teeth, though any other words that he wanted to say flee him upon seeing the rage in Iemitsu's countenance.

"We have  _never_  been a family, no matter how many presents you send Nana when it's our anniversary or you take Tsuna out as his  _grandfather_." Iemitsu stands up to his full height, glaring daggers at the older man in front of him. "Don't fool yourself, Timoteo. We Sawadas have never considered ourselves a part of the Founder's family, not even if we have  _his_  blood in us."

* * *

After they're lead to a dining table in the middle of a river, with lilypads as their bridge toward it, Tsuna finds himself half-listening to Chrome gushing about her adventures in search of the shy, yellow kitty that she stumbled upon earlier. Said kitty is now sitting on the chair next to Chrome, the other side occupied by the huge owl. Tsuna is worried now that perhaps he's done something wrong to the owl, since it hasn't stopped staring at him unblinkingly.  _Creepily_.

"A huge dandelion helped me catch him! Some of its seeded fruits were black instead of white, and if it had a face, I'd say this spot," Chrome traces a rectangular shape on her left cheek with her finger, "would be the one with the black on it."

"It's really nice of it to help you," Tsuna comments with a smile. He glances at the owl briefly, baffled to find that it still hasn't stopped staring at him.

"Yes! And it never asked anything for return, too!" Chrome giggles and opens her mouth to say more, but for the first time since Tsuna met them, the owl interrupts her.

"It's time to go, my Chrome." Its voice is nowhere near to what Tsuna imagined it to be, yet he finds it fitting for the humungous bird.

"Isn't it too soon?" Chrome protests, pouting up at the owl. The owl rotates its head toward her in return, the only time that the owl stops looking at Tsuna, though it's only briefly before the owl faces forward again. Chrome sighs, disappointment clear in her face. "I wanted to talk more with Tsuna, though…"

Not one to be comfortable in the presence of a saddened person, Tsuna smiles at her and says, "Don't worry, I'm sure we'll be able to talk more next time."

"You promise?" Tsuna fights hard for his smile not to falter, because he knows how hard it is to make a promise, especially one that he has no certainty of being able to fulfill.

"I promise," Tsuna says anyway, because he doubts he can ever say no to Chrome despite them meeting only in dreams.

* * *

The smell of soup and toast stirs him out of his sleep, a welcome change for Tsuna compared to waking up with his throat imitating the dryness of a desert. It's Tsuyoshi who's checking up on him this time, the man placing the tray that he's carrying on Tsuna's lap once the brunette's sitting up. Tsuna mumbles his thanks for the food and begins eating quietly.

"Better now?" Tsuyoshi inquires, to which Tsuna nods. "Good. Rest one more night, then I'm having Takeshi bring you back to Namimori. Can't be good, being cooped up in here for so long. Haru's also been wondering where you went."

Tsuna nods again, the conversation falling into a lull after that. Tsuyoshi obviously has more things to say, though, and Tsuna is proven right when the man asks, "Are you going to turn Basil over once you return to Vongola?"

"Of course not," Tsuna instantly replies, a frown curling his lips downward. "I gave you my word, didn't I? That I wouldn't be taking any dragons from Namimori."

"That you did." Tsuyoshi retrieves the tray from Tsuna's hands once he's confirmed that the brunette has finished eating. "That you did," he repeats before leaving a confused Tsuna. He wonders how Tsuna will dissuade Basil from coming with him and also how he will dissuade Takeshi from doing the same thing, too. It'll be a battle for him, Tsuyoshi thinks, since neither of them seems very enthusiastic to entertain the thought of being separated from their new tamer.

* * *

Only the owl is waiting for him this time, huge red and blue eyes still fixed on Tsuna. Tsuna has no clue where they are, the surroundings too dark around them to even make out what's within a two feet radius of him. He's not comfortable being alone with the owl—Mukuro—either, but he has no choice but to talk to it if he wants answers.

"Where's Chrome?" he asks the owl tentatively, not surprised in the least when he's met with silence. He grows more apprehensive as time passes, not only because of Chrome's absence but also from the animosity emanating from his only companion.

It's the first time since meeting Chrome that he felt unsafe in his dreams.

* * *

Takeshi hears footsteps approach him from behind, and it isn't long before his father stands beside him, yawning widely as they face the rising sun. The wind ruffles his hair as it passes, the air still slightly chilly from the night before.

"You're going to follow him."

It's a statement that somehow surprises him despite Takeshi anticipating it, given how his father loves rubbing something on his face when he has been right all along. Takeshi doesn't need to look at Tsuyoshi to see the smug expression that he's surely wearing.

"Why?"

Takeshi mulls over the question for a bit. He decides to answer with, "He's interesting. For a human." He feigns disinterest, hoping that his father would drop his probing questions.

"Like that Hibari kid?" Tsuyoshi nearly laughs at his son's exasperated sigh. "I still remember when you first got beaten to a pulp by him. You followed him around like a dog, asking for another rematch and basically having your ass handed to you every single time."

Takeshi shrugs, the dim light from the lamp that Tsuyoshi's holding dancing across his face. "Not quite. Hibari, as closed off as he is, is easy to read, like an open book. But Tsuna...he has an air of - of mystery around him despite wearing his heart on his sleeve."

"True," Tsuyoshi grunts in agreement, head turning to the direction where Tsuna's temporary room is located. "Keep in mind that you won't be the only one who'll be drawn to him." At Takeshi's curious expression, he huffs and points out, "Basil. Not to mention the others that are residing in Namimori  _and_ Vongola, especially now that he's taking not one but two of the coveted rain dragons."

Takeshi's face goes grim, and he looks nearly menacing when Tsuyoshi adds, "The mist has also receded on the side of the mountain. Surely, you've roused him when you and that skylark were trying to bash each other's skulls in."

Then a crash originating behind the door resounds loudly, whimpers that are definitely Tsuna's following closely. Father and son share an identical look of exasperation, and then Tsuyoshi snickers while Takeshi fights a losing battle against a grin that's threatening to appear.

Just before Tsuna emerges from the house, Tsuyoshi quickly sobers up and adds, "Vongola is dangerous, not only to you but also to Tsuna. Never forget that if you intend to stay by his side."

Takeshi stores his father's advice in his mind, fully composed again when Tsuna steps outside. He is still a bit paler than he is normally, making the red on his forehead much more noticeable. His eyes widen at the sight of the two Yamamotos, Tsuna's blush spreading on his cheek and to the tips of his ears. In both the dragons' minds, he's very reminiscent of a tiny rodent facing a predator.

"I, uhm, sorry about the...commotion," Tsuna meekly apologizes. He relaxes a bit when Tsuyoshi waves his hand in dismissal.

"You've done far more outrageous things; I'm sure we can overlook your tripping on the entrance," Tsuyoshi says,  
the first half of his statement earning him a reproachful look from Takeshi and an embarrassed "Hiieee!" from Tsuna. Yawning once again, Tsuyoshi walks back to the house, clasping Tsuna's shoulder one last time when he passes him. Tsuna hastily says a litany of thanks at the back of his host, earning only a wave in return before he's left alone with Takeshi.

A strong gust of wind has Tsuna raising his arms toward his face, the brunette wishing that he won't get whisked away. It soon passes, and once he's sure that there are no more dust and small pebbles flying around, Tsuna lowers his arms. Almost instantly, he gapes at a shirtless Takeshi, wide wings stretched out to their full length at his back.

"C'mon," Takeshi calls out to him, snapping Tsuna from his embarrassing gawking of the dragon. "Basil's already at Namimori, and by now he's probably met up with Haru."

"R-Right!" Tsuna jogs up to Takeshi, realization coming to him with each step. Once he's standing a foot away from Takeshi, Tsuna yelps when a balled-up white shirt is thrown his way. He gives himself a mental pat on the back when he manages to catch it, though he forgets all about his little achievement completely when Takeshi crouches in front of him. Tsuna yelps again when he's pulled flush against Takeshi's torso by the arms around the back of his knees and lower back.

"Y-Yamamoto!?" Tsuna squeaks as he's lifted up, free hand grasping at Takeshi's shoulder to steady himself. "T-This is completely  _unnecessary_!"

"Call me Takeshi," is the completely unrelated answer that he gets. And then they're moving—Takeshi walking while carrying Tsuna— and the next thing Tsuna knows is that they're falling down  _very quickly_  because the clouds are getting smaller and smaller. Tsuna might have been screaming, but not entirely from fear.

The arms wrapped around him tighten their hold, and then massive blue wings beat twice just as they get shadowed by a mountain. Tsuna takes deep breaths then. teeth chattering for a bit just as the leaves of the trees creep into the edges of his vision. It's not long before they completely stop in their descent, Takeshi crouching again to place Tsuna down on the ground. The moment his feet step on solid ground, Tsuna whimpers, not caring is he's clutching Takeshi's shoulder too hard.

"A little warning next time would be n-nice," he tells Takeshi rather weakly. Unexpectedly, the dragon gives him a small smile, and Tsuna is sure that he's already forgiven Takeshi right then and there for nearly giving him a heart attack a few seconds ago.

"I'll keep that in mind." The shirt that Tsuna's holding against his chest is gently pried from his fingers, though Takeshi doesn't shrug Tsuna's hand off his shoulder right away so that he can put it on. Tsuna retracts his hand upon noticing, though, his blush returning.

"I—ok." Tsuna awkwardly toys with his goggles, unsure of how to respond to Takeshi's smile. He's hoping that the smile means Takeshi's accepting him again as a friend, and the thought makes Tsuna return the smile back shyly. "Thank you, Ya—T...Takeshi."

Unbridled happiness flash by Takeshi's eyes then, coloring them blue in a flash before reverting back to brown. Tsuna nearly sobs in relief when those blue eyes aren't so cold anymore; instead, they held the same amount of warmth that Takeshi's brown eyes have currently.

"You're welcome, Tsuna," Takeshi replies, small smile still in place.

Takeshi's wings twitch before flapping one last time, Tsuna watching with wonder as they start fading away. The air around them becomes damp, and Tsuna wonders if the same thing happens when Takeshi fully shapeshifts into a dragon. He starts forming his question, trying to find a way to ask Takeshi about it without upsetting the dragon. All drafts of his question flee his mind when Takeshi walks past him and he catches sight of what's on the dragon's back just before the fabric of the shirt covers it, freezing Tsuna in place. Takeshi must be talking to him, the dragon looking over his shoulder with worry in his eyes due to Tsuna's silence.

"Tsuna—oh. You saw it, huh?"

Tsuna's lips tremble a little as Takeshi turns to face him. "I—oh god, Ta—...I-I'm sorry I—"

"We'll talk about it later," Takeshi interrupts him. The cold expression that he wore when he found out what Tsuna was hasn't returned yet, but that doesn't stop Tsuna from feeling scared all over again. "Though if you're going to mention anything about breaking this bond, then I suppose there's nothing to talk about later," Takeshi amends.

"But—"

" _Later,_ " Takeshi firmly says, taking hold of Tsuna's hand and pulling the brunette along behind him. "I don't really fancy making Haru mad. She's scary, you know."

To say that Tsuna's distressed about Takeshi's lack of reaction toward their  _bond_  is understatement. He rummages around his mind of the time the bond was formed, turning all his memories over during his search. He keeps doing this until they meet Haru, the seamstress nearly crushing his ribcage with the intensity of her hug. For the duration of his dinner with Haru, Takeshi, and Basil, Tsuna has become somewhat preoccupied that it isn't until they got back to the inn that he's able to ponder on the matter again. Basil asked them to go ahead earlier as he stops by the post office, though Tsuna can tell that Basil didn't really like the idea of leaving him alone with Takeshi.

"See you tomorrow then," Takeshi tells him, patting Tsuna lightly at the back as he strides to the room next door.

"Yeah. Uhm…" Tsuna glances up and sees Takeshi turn his head toward him, waiting patiently for what he has to say. "I can still...break it, you know. The bond."

Takeshi sighs exaggeratedly while scratching his nape. "Maybe I wasn't clear earlier, but I  _don't_  want the bond to be broken." At Tsuna's skeptical look, he adds, "It's...hard to explain right now. Plus, we wouldn't want any eavesdroppers to hear what we have to say to each other, eh?"

"Alright." Tsuna purses his lips together after bidding Takeshi goodnight, entering his room with thoughts swarming around his mind like insects would. He feels that he won't be getting any sleep because of this, something that's proven wrong when he goes out like a light the moment he hits the bed.

* * *

Tsuna finds himself standing in front of a thick wall of ice. By his side, Mukuro is staring at the wall, too, their reflections vague on the thick ice. Displeasure is rolling off of the owl in waves, but that's not what chills Tsuna to the bones.

Despite the vagueness of his reflection, Tsuna can see a gloved hand loosely wrapped around his neck while a voice whispers close to his ear.

" _Bring me to Nagi_."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not exactly content with this chapter lmfao but it serves as a bridge toward the next chapter, so there's that.
> 
> Thanks for reading! Concrit would be much appreciated! (I also love it when readers ask questions in the reviews *winkwink*)


	4. Old A Flame

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ohmygod im really really REALLY sorry for taking this long i just LIFE and RESPONSIBILITIES ~~and procrastination~~
> 
> thank you for my onee-sama for beta reading ;v;

Takeshi wakes up before orange bleeds into the dark blue skies. Eyes staring unseeingly up at the ceiling, he ponders on how this isn’t an uncommon occurrence— it’s been ingrained in him by his father to always be the early bird— but Takeshi can’t quite put a finger on what exactly roused him from his slumber. He notes it’s a tad chillier than normal in his room, something that he wouldn’t usually take note of given him being a rain dragon. When he sits up, Takeshi realizes that it’s not the _room_ that’s cold; it’s his mind thinking that it’s cold in the room and tricking his body into believing it. 

Rubbing his palms against his eyes, Takeshi tries to remember if he had any dreams prior to waking up, grasping at bits and pieces of a little girl in a lavender dress and a wall of ice.

* * *

“We will spend less time on the road if you’d let either one of us fly you to Vongola, young master Tsuna,” Basil pipes up. He’s watching Tsuna put a souvenir for his mother, a small yellow figurine of a fat bird carefully wrapped in a satin cloth by Haru, inside his satchel. Right after that’s been secured, Tsuna pulls the strings tight and ties it into a knot that Basil is somehow familiar with.

“There’s no _we_ , though,” Tsuna replies with a firm yet quiet tone. Turning his head to the side so that he can see Basil, he’s rather unsettled by how unfazed Basil is regarding his announcement. It’s as if he had been expecting Tsuna to say the words that he just said all along.

Clearing his throat, Tsuna adds, “I won’t be bringing you or Ya-- Takeshi with me back to Vongola. I’ve made a promise with his father that I will not take any dragons from Namimori.”

“Technically, you won’t be _bringing_ us with you, since young master Takeshi and I have already decided that we’ll be _following_ you no matter what,” Basil tells him. His voice is still gentle yet firm, as if wanting to end this certain conversation right then and there. Normally, Tsuna would back down since it’s not in his personality to insist on something when the other person clearly doesn’t agree with him. This time isn’t one of those instances when he can just back down, though.

“You don’t...you _don’t_ know what you’re getting yourself into, Basil. Both you and Takeshi don’t know what associating with me really means, let alone being _bonded_ with me,” Tsuna tries to reason out. He bites his lower lip when Basil’s stance doesn’t exchange. If anything, Basil seems more set now to stick with Tsuna.

“Aren’t you afraid of the humiliation that you’ll certainly be put upon once you return to Vongola empty handed?” Basil watches Tsuna stiffen minutely, fear rushing across the brunette’s face before it’s hidden behind a frown.

“No,” Tsuna blatantly lies, voice shaking in tandem with his hands. He inhales deeply before adding, “I’m actually prepared for _that_ , you know. I’ve had practice with it ever since...I can remember. It’s nothing new, Basil. Being the subject of humiliation and disappointment, that is.” Tsuna drops his gaze on his hands, missing the worried look that Basil’s directing at him. 

“No one should get accustomed to that,” Basil quietly says. The joyless smile that that elicits doesn’t soothe him.

“Some people have to,” Tsuna murmurs nearly inaudibly. Slinging his satchel over his shoulder, Tsuna gazes up at Basil again, newly determined. “Can’t I really convince you two to stay behind? Aside from the verbal taunts, I doubt I’d be subjected to any physical harm just because of failing one mission that I actually had no chance of completing.”

“That’s not really very convincing, young master Tsuna. If anything, it only serves to compel us more into accompanying you back to Vongola,” Basil points out.

Tsuna opens his mouth, response dying in his tongue. He becomes flustered then, partly because of his failure when it comes to reasoning and partly due to the fond albeit amused smile that Basil gives him. “T-The thing is,” he starts again, steeling himself and willing his voice not to falter. “I might...me having to surrender you to the Vongola Nono isn’t an impossibility. After all, that is the mission. To find a Rain dragon for him.”

“You won’t hand us over just like that, though.” Tsuna is shocked at the confidence that Basil says that with, which must show since Basil’s smile widens. “Just as we won’t let ourselves be separated from you so easily.” 

Throat constricting just as his eyes suddenly feel hot, Tsuna makes a show of taking a cursory glance around his room in the pretense of checking if he’s forgotten anything. It’s a flimsy attempt at avoiding Basil’s eyes, but Tsuna honestly can’t handle everything that Basil’s presenting to him currently. How can the dragon easily tell him that they’d rather be by his side despite only having spent a couple of days with Tsuna? Add to the fact that he’s been fairly incoherent during those times because of his fever and everything else that happened, Tsuna can’t really see why Basil is so attached to him.

Shaking his head lightly, Tsuna asks, “Why do you speak as though you and Takeshi want the same thing? For all we know, he might want to stay here in Namimori instead of going to Vongola.”

Basil chuckles at that, making Tsuna feel conscious because it feels like he just missed something. “He didn’t accept your offer to break the bond, didn’t he?”

“Wha-- how--”

"I believe that's already telling of what his decision is regarding _our_ journey." Stepping outside, Basil looks back at Tsuna over his shoulder and says, "We must leave now if we want to cover a lot of ground before midday." As an afterthought, he adds, "My offer from earlier still stands. I don't mind having both you and young master Takeshi on my back."

"Absolutely not!" Tsuna protests vehemently, sighing when he passes by a weirdly ecstatic Basil. He supposes there's really no changing the dragons' minds. He comforts himself on the knowledge that he tried his best to dissuade them. 

* * *

"I don't get how you humans can stay comfortable on these," Takeshi grumbles as he shifts for the umpteenth time on his horse's back. The horse whinnies in return, tail flicking left and right furiously. A few feet ahead of him, Tsuna and Basil look over their shoulder with unmasked amusement, further irking Takeshi as he continues the tough battle of getting his horse to go where he wants it to. 

“You need not force it too much, young master Takeshi,” Basil advises him. The blond only shakes his head when Takeshi grumbles more, clearly not taking the hint when he pulls at the reins quite impatiently. The horse stomps its foot on the dirt, whinnying once again in a rather angry tone.

“This is hopeless,” Takeshi says with a sigh, shoulders slumping down in defeat. He only startles a bit when a gloved hand enters his range of vision, palm up as if waiting for Takeshi to put something on it. Glancing up at its owner, Takeshi’s puzzlement grows when Tsuna cocks his head to the side.

“Give me the reins.” Takeshi does so with no quip, kinda annoyed when Tsuna smothers a snicker at the back of his free hand. He settles for gripping the saddle and the horse’s neck lightly when they start moving again, this time his only problem being only to keep himself from slipping off the horse’s back. Takeshi thinks it’s quite unfair for the horse to not have any complaint with Tsuna lightly pulling at its reins; he did that, too, at the start, so why did it not follow him? 

“Based on the speed we’re travelling, I reckon we’ll need an extra day than usual before we reach Vongola.” 

He can only see Basil’s back for now, but Takeshi has no doubt that he is smirking at him. He also has no doubt that that’s a jab to his... _predicament_ , which is apparently a laughable thing given the fact that Tsuna and Basil nearly pissed themselves earlier when Takeshi fell down the first time. 

“That’s not too much of a delay,” Tsuna comments, perceptible relief in his voice. It still baffles Takeshi why Tsuna’s so reluctant to go back to Vongola, his _home_ , and why he tried to persuade him and Basil until the last moment to stay behind Namimori. He has replayed every single thing that his father told him concerning Tsuna and his warning before they left the Yamamoto residence, as well as what few details he can remember of Tsuna’s father whenever he came to visit Tsuyoshi. Takeshi wants so badly to just ask Tsuna a lot of things, yet he knows that Tsuna will tell him everything that he desires to know in due time.

Takeshi’s impatient due to the fact that Basil seems to _know_ more than he should. To make things worse, Basil isn’t hiding it at all, interacting with Tsuna in a way an old friend would. He knows that it’s childish of him to be this _jealous_ , but Takeshi can’t help it. He just couldn’t speak to Tsuna like he did a week ago, though, not after Takeshi rendered him unconscious in a bout of uncharacteristic anger and then made him jump off a mountain. They’ve been tiptoeing around each other ever since, a reality that Takeshi wants to rewrite every time his throat constricts when he opens his mouth to call Tsuna. 

“-eshi? Takeshi, are you there?” 

Hearing his name, he turns his head to the source of the question, Tsuna’s worried face coming into view. At the edge of his peripheral vision, Takeshi notes Basil’s attentiveness based on the tensed lines of his shoulders. Slapping on an apologetic grin, Takeshi says, “Yeah. Was just dozing off, I guess. Never would have thought riding a horse is this much like being rocked in a hammock.”

Tsuna stares at him as though he’s speaking gibberish, sighing when he’s unable to make sense of his sudden change in demeanor.

* * *

“You know, we could already be sleeping on a soft bed by now if you’d let one of us fly you to Vongola.”

They’ve set up camp for the day in a small clearing in front of a huge tree. The dragons have decided amongst themselves that Tsuna will be sleeping inside the hollow curve at its base. 

Tsuna grudgingly sets up his sleeping bag, replying, “I’ll say it again: I do not like the idea of using you guys for that.”

Basil tilts his head a little to the left in consideration. “But I offered.”

“Still.” Tsuna gives Basil a disapproving look and huffs when Basil just smiles back in that way that he usually does: fond yet mysterious at the same time, like he knows something Tsuna doesn’t. When Tsuna asks where they will sleep, both merely shrug in response, Takeshi easily scales up a tree and settling on one of its branches while Basil sits a few feet away. Tsuna makes an indignant noise, rant ready at the tip of his tongue when exhaustion suddenly sweeps over his entire being. 

The last he hears are two voices bidding him good night.

* * *

Basil had taken the first watch. By the time that he’s ready to pass over his duty, Takeshi is already awake. He doesn’t move right away to settle for the night, instead waiting for the words that Takeshi has been holding in during the day. 

“It’s curious when someone is so wary at the thought of returning to his hometown.” Basil tries not to be daunted by Takeshi’s stare, his eyes seeming even bluer now in the light of the moon.

He shifts from where he’s sitting a few feet away from Tsuna, a poor attempt at stalling. “It’s not the place that worries him,” is what he decides to say. As expected, it earns him an annoyed grunt.

“I gathered that much from father’s warning,” Takeshi grumbles. He stays quiet for a while after that, leading Basil to think that was that for the night until Takeshi continues, “You speak of him with familiarity that’s unusual for someone who just met another person for the first time. Especially for someone as reserved as you.” The words are said with the blandest tone that Basil has so far heard from Takeshi, though there’s no mistaking the underlying accusation in them. The _jealousy_. 

Basil’s lips twitch slightly, a prelude to a smile that will not appear. “It’s a good thing that he doesn’t do the same for me, isn’t it?” 

A bird screeches in the distance, and Basil feels a bit of his hurt subside at the guilt that flashes in Takeshi’s face before he averts his gaze. 

* * *

Tsuna doesn’t know what happened exactly. He had been too preoccupied by the dread that rapidly spread through his body the moment he saw the gates of Vongola, A yard away from the steel gates the three of them dismounted from their horses, each step closer to his hometown more agonizing than the last as Tsuna’s legs gradually turn to lead. At his side, Tsuna could sense Takeshi’s concerned gaze then and—

“ _Stop_!” Both figures no more than five feet away from him freeze, one with their fist on the air and the other lying on the ground with their arms raised in defense. Tsuna tries to move toward them when he notices blue scales on the fallen figure’s hands, gasping when the arm around his middle pulls him back. “Stop!” he screams again. “Get away from Basil!”

Tsuna wonders if they even hear him. Takeshi leapt back quite far when Basil was struck, taking Tsuna with him. When nothing happens, Tsuna inhales deeply and forces out the one word that hasn’t passed his lips in a long time. “ _Dad_!” 

It’s only then that the man standing above Basil slowly lowers his arm. His expression is hard to discern, but Tsuna decides not to dwell on it as he finally breaks free from Takeshi’s hold and runs toward Basil. His knees sting as he falls next to the dragon and he has no doubt that he’ll have a bruises come tomorrow. 

“I’m all right,” Basil manages from behind his hand as he wipes away the blood from his split lip with the back of his hand. Red peeks out from under his sleeve, Tsuna’s eyes being drawn to it for a split second. He has no doubt that another set of eyes saw it, too, if the rage emanating from the blond man behind him was anything to go by. 

Tsuna nods at Basil, steels himself as best as he can, and forces himself to stand up on shaky legs. He then offers his hand to help Basil up, not quite managing a smile in return for the unproportional amount of gratitude in those blue eyes. Taking another deep breath, he faces his father, angling himself so that Basil is somewhat shielded by him. Tsuna tilts his chin up to meet eyes that are the same hue as his yet still so drastically different. There’s a lump in his throat that’s preventing him from speaking, not really a surprise given who the one standing before him is.

Because, truly, what does one say to a father that you never see for more than once every five years?

“That was a really shitty greeting, Iemitsu,” is what he finally says. His voice is quiet, ensuring that the only human that can hear him is Iemitsu. Even he can’t hear himself over the pounding of his heartbeat against his ears. “Should I brace myself, too?”

Iemitsu’s lips press together into a thin line, his frown deepening. “You don’t know why—“

“Yes, I _don’t_ know _why_ ,” Tsuna interrupts him. “I’m very much aware that I don’t know a lot of things, so I’d very much appreciate it if you can start enlightening me by giving me a reason as to why you punched Basil.” 

“It doesn’t—” The man shuts his mouth abruptly, effectively cutting off what he’s just about to say. He regards his son with weary eyes, the anger having trickled out of him while he waited for Tsuna to speak earlier. His gaze lifts for a second toward the space above Tsuna’s shoulders, the tense lines of his shoulders returning almost instantly. 

“We’ll talk about this later,” Iemitsu says. He is wholly unprepared at the rekindled anger in Tsuna’s eyes, his own anger dampening at his mind catching up at the realization that _he_ is the one on the receiving end of his son’s ire.

“By later you mean _never_ , right?” The words are spoken like venom, bringing to mind the _many_ times that Iemitsu have used the phrase in the past. 

And then Oregano is suddenly there at Iemitsu’s side, keeping Iemitsu from replying to his son. Later, he will see it as a small blessing, for it’s apparent that whatever he had to say would do nothing to help him get into his son’s good graces. “Boss, you’re being called,” Oregano tells him though her eyes are on Tsuna. When he looks at her, she continues, “The Vongola Nono also told me to pass the message that he will meet Tsuna after he has had the chance to rest.”

“That’s very gracious of him,” Tsuna blurts out, not yet feeling horrified at how sarcastic his tone is. 

Oregano might have smiled then if not for the tension still hanging in the air. “Turmeric will take care of your horses. I’m sure you three are weary from the travel, and I know someone who’s very eager to see you home, Tsuna.”

Tsuna nods, finally breaking his gaze from his father’s to walk past him. He’s sure that Basil and Takeshi are following, can hear their footsteps just right behind him. Iemitsu doesn’t do anything to stop them or try to punch Basil again which Tsuna is marginally thankful for. There’s no more energy left in him in case his father decides that he hasn’t put Basil through enough for whatever unknown offense he has committed. 

It's mostly a blur for him once they get past the gates of Vongola. His feet lead them toward the familiar streets of Vongola, Tsuna’s body moving automatically while his mind flies. A few passersby have slowed down to take a look at him _and_ at the two people following him, their eyebrows quirked up and tongues loose, ready to spew mocking words at him. Tsuna pays them no mind, the fountain with the coins glittering at its bottom proving to be a much more interesting sight instead.

They don’t take too long to arrive at their destination, Tsuna running ahead toward an unremarkable house of modest size. Despite its plainness it looks warm and welcoming. Takeshi looks up at it in wonder, disbelieving how much it reminds him of _Tsuna_. Beside him, Basil is doing the same, except that trepidation is mixed in with his wonder. His trepidation is increased when the front door opens just as he and Takeshi stop a few paces behind Tsuna, watching as their new tamer is suddenly engulfed in a hug.

“Oh, _Tsuna_ , you’re home, _you’re home_ ,” the woman sobs into Tsuna’s neck, her grip around him near suffocating. Tsuna closes his eyes and inhales deeply, allowing himself to get lost in her warmth and scent, his body relaxing as it finally recognizes that he’s _home_.

They stay like that until the sound of shuffling feet reaches his ears, reminding Tsuna that they’re not alone. Tsuna then tries to force an embarrassed laugh out as he pats his mother’s back awkwardly. “Yes, yes, I’m home, mom. But can you please let me breathe now?” 

Nana obliges, even if it’s just to release Tsuna long enough so that she can wipe her tears with her sleeves. “It’s because you suddenly stopped writing letters! And you stayed far longer than you should have!” she scolds him, jabbing him lightly in the side.

“Well, about that…” Tsuna steps to the side, revealing Takeshi and Basil to his mother. He takes in the widening of her eyes, the hitch in her breath. She knows, of course she _knows_. 

“Are they—“ Nana swallows thickly, and the smile that she tries to put on appears more like a grimace. “Dear me, you should’ve told me you have guests with you.”

“You tried to choke me before giving me the chance to speak,” Tsuna replies in an attempt to be cheeky. His mother doesn’t notice, her usual playful reprimand missing as she continues staring back and forth between the two dragons. It unsettles Tsuna how Nana’s eyes linger on Basil, how her knuckles turn to white as she tightens her grip on her faded lavender apron, and at the way that Basil resolutely avoids meeting her gaze. 

It’s takes Nana a minute to gather her bearings, her smile looking less like a grimace as she opens the door behind her wider and invites them in. The two of them share a glance, Takeshi shrugging uneasily as he goes first and dips his head low as he introduces himself to Nana by the doorway. Basil, on the other hand, stays rooted on his spot. He looks as though he’s lost in a memory, eyes staring unseeingly at the door.

When Tsuna calls him, his voice tired and worried-- _confused_ \-- Basil snaps back to the present. His pace is quick as he approaches Tsuna and reassures him that he’s fine, that it’s just the fatigue of their travel from Namimori catching up on him. He puts on an apologetic smile, one that is directed not at Tsuna but at the woman behind him. Tsuna misses it for what it truly is, already assuring Basil that he has _nothing_ to be sorry for. Basil is thankful for it, painfully aware that neither he nor Nana are ready for this conversation yet. 

* * *

“Massimo has been found, a cold body filled with the cold water that claimed his life.”

Iemitsu presses the heel of his palms against his closed eyes. It does little to help with his headache, but the momentary darkness it provides him is a welcome reprieve no matter how short. “What of Enrico?” he asks.

The silence that he’s met with is answer enough, Iemitsu exhaling through his nose as he moves both hands through his hair. It’s a miracle that he hasn’t yet hit any of the hard liquor that’s decorating the bar across him. His _tremendously_ less-than-pleasant reunion with his son immediately followed by the report of two of the Vongola Nono’s successors missing should have done the trick already, and it’s making Iemitsu dread what else Timoteo has to say. He has an inkling that whatever comes next will be the straw that will break the camel’s back.

“I’m pulling Xanxus back inside Vongola’s walls and...” Iemitsu braces himself because there’s _more._ “A message has been sent to one of our trusted allies for his help in mentoring.”

An unbidden laugh escapes him, painfully mirthless as Iemitsu says, “You waste no time, don’t you?” His hands form into fists, itching to collide with something-- _someone_ that would break. 

“We need more men now in the field more than ever.” Timoteo doesn’t glance at him, his back the one receiving the brunt of Iemitsu’s glare. “The reports from the coasts closest to the territory of Milliefiore are becoming more and more...alarming as time passes. They may cover up whatever they’re doing with their smiles and abundance of bouquets, but those can’t disguise the unrest that they’ve raised in the other nations. Not that I think they’re aiming really hard for that; one can suggest that their leader is enjoying the discomfort that they’ve caused.”

“And you intend to thrust my son in the middle of...of _this_?” The words leave a bitter taste at Iemitsu’s mouth, further amplified by the knowledge that there’s nothing he can do to delay the inevitable. 

Not with Tsuna coming home with two dragons in tow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes everything is a cliffhanger im sorry i'll try my best to answer some of these questions and then get back to nagi and mukuro
> 
> Hopefully I will have better grasp of what I want for the future chapters to be since a year of contemplation did change a _lot_ in my outlines.


End file.
